Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 4 May 2022
574. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development her plans to extend the retirement age of workers in Pobal-funded community service programmes across the State. [21713/22]
View answerMy Department’s Community Services Programme (CSP), which is administered by Pobal on behalf of the Department, currently supports over 420 community organisations to provide employment opportunities and local services through a social enterprise model.
As part of their contracts with Pobal, CSP-funded organisations agree to comply at all times with the rules and procedures as outlined in the CSP Operating Manual. This includes the specific age related rule whereby the CSP only provides funding support until such time as participants reach the qualifying age for a State pension, which is currently paid to people from the age of 66. To continue to provide CSP funding beyond this age could result in duplication of payments from public funds.
It should be noted neither my Department nor Pobal have a role in relation to the employment of people in CSP supported posts, which are solely matters for the Boards of CSP supported organisations, subject to compliance with employment legislation.
Accordingly, CSP supported organisations may continue to employ persons once they reach their 66th birthday, but the funds to do so must come from a non-CSP source, for example, from income received from the public use of their facilities or from charges for services. For auditing purposes, any expenditure identified in this manner would be deemed ineligible and recouped by the Department/Pobal.
My Department and Pobal are currently restructuring the CSP following an independent review of the programme carried out by Indecon International Economic Consultants in 2020. The review will inform decisions on the future shape of the programme, including, amongst other issues, programme funding arrangements and age related eligibility criteria.
