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Community Employment Schemes

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 July 2021

Wednesday, 7 July 2021

Questions (91)

Marian Harkin

Question:

91. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Social Protection if rural social scheme supervisors will be included in the proposal for a once-off gratuity to be paid on retirement to community employment supervisors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36721/21]

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Written answers

The Department of Social Protection delivers a range of employment and income support schemes including Community Employment (CE) and the Rural Social Scheme (RSS). These schemes are delivered by independent bodies funded by the Department. RSS is delivered by 37 local development companies and by Údarás na Gaeltachta, known collectively as Implementing Bodies. CE is delivered by sponsoring authorities. While the Department funds for participant and supervisors' pay, the Department is not the employer of any scheme participants or their supervisors.

The State is not responsible for funding pension arrangements for employees of private companies, even where the companies in question are reliant on State funding. Pension arrangements are a matter to be agreed between employees and their employers. All employers, including CE sponsoring organisations and the IBs that deliver RSS, are legally obliged to offer access to at least one Standard Personal Retirement Savings Account (PRSA) under the Pension (Amendment) Act 2002.

CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors have been seeking for several years, through their union representatives, the allocation of Exchequer funding to implement a 2008 Labour Court recommendation relating to the provision of a pension scheme for CE supervisors and assistant supervisors who are employed by CE scheme sponsors.

It is within the context of the 2008 Labour Court recommendation that officials from my Department, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the unions representing the CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors held discussions on proposals to progress this issue over the past number of months. These discussions were held on the understanding by all involved, that they related solely to CE supervisors and assistant supervisors.

As the Deputy is aware, an agreement was reached recently between my colleagues, the Minister for Social Protection and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on proposals to resolve the long standing issue. Details of these proposals have been forwarded to the unions representing CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors by the Department of Social Protection. Discussions on these proposals are ongoing between my Department and the unions.

These proposals only apply to those parties who were the subject of the 2008 Labour Court recommendation and subsequent discussions with both Departments, namely CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors. The related provisions will not apply to other parties such as RSS supervisors.

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.

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