Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 November 2022
76. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on engagement that she has had with community employment supervisors regarding their employment-related concerns; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59208/22]
View answerI value the role CE supervisors and assistant supervisors play on over 800 CE schemes in local communities across the country. They support CE participants to get work experience and develop future work opportunities for those who are long term unemployed, while providing essential services to local communities. As the Deputy is aware, CE supervisors and assistant supervisors are not employees of the Department and are not public servants. They are employees of individual schemes. This means that any discussions on employment related matters are complex. In the role as funder of CE, Department of Social Welfare officials have ongoing engagement with community employment supervisors and their union representatives to discuss operational issues and other matters of common concern.
The Department, as the funder of CE schemes, received correspondence earlier this year from Fórsa and SIPTU seeking a pay increase for CE supervisors and assistant supervisors. The department has been advised in recent days that Fórsa and SIPTU have referred a pay claim to the conciliation service of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). The WRC has issued an invite to the Department to take part in a conciliation process. Any increase in pay rates that would potentially increase the overall cost to the state of funding schemes, or state funded activities in the wider community and voluntary sector, must take into consideration the potential cost to the exchequer. Given these budgetary implications, and the referral of other similar claims to the WRC, the Department is following-up with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, prior to responding to the invite from the WRC. The Deputy will be aware of the agreement reached at the end of 2021 in settlement of a 2008 Labour Court recommendation on pensions for CE supervisors. The settlement resolves the long-standing issue through the payment of a once off ex-gratia payment to eligible CE supervisors and assistant supervisors. Both unions involved confirmed acceptance of this settlement which will benefit approximately 2,500 people employed by CE schemes going back to 2008. It is estimated to have a total cost of over €24 million. Following Government approval earlier this month, legislative provisions to provide for these payments are being included in the Social Welfare Budget Bill, which will, once enacted, facilitate the payment of processed ex-gratia applications. It is my intention that these payments will issue before the Christmas break.
