I propose to take Questions Nos. 557 to 560, inclusive, together.
As the Deputy is aware the provisions of the Public Service Superannuation (Age of Retirement) Act 2018 relates to public service employees only.
Participants and supervisors on community employment programmes operated by my Department are employees of private companies in the community and voluntary sector that receive public funding. They are not employees of my Department or public servants and therefore the provisions of the Act do not apply to them.
My Department does not provide funding for participant or supervisors who have reached the State Pension age.
There are currently 44 supervisors on Community Employment schemes aged between 65 and 66 years.
There are 4,655 participants on Community Employment schemes aged between 60 and 66 years, details of which are set out in Table 1.
Table 1 - Community Employment scheme participants over 60 years
Participant Age
|
Number
|
60 years
|
802
|
61 years
|
828
|
62 years
|
874
|
63 years
|
831
|
64 years
|
732
|
65 years
|
588
|
Total
|
4,655
|