Jennifer Murnane O'Connor
Question:847. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of the pay claim by CE supervisors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [63318/22]
View answerWednesday, 18 January 2023
Questions (847)
Written answers
Firstly, I wish to acknowledge the valuable and dedicated service that CE supervisors/assistant supervisors provide in running CE schemes in delivering local based community services while providing a valuable training and development opportunity to the long-term unemployed and to those often furthest removed from the labour market.
The Department, as the funder of CE schemes, received correspondence last year from Fórsa and SIPTU seeking a pay increase for CE supervisors and assistant supervisors. Fórsa and SIPTU have since referred a pay claim to the conciliation service of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). The WRC issued an invite to the Department to take part in a conciliation process in December last year. As a follow up the Department brought a memo to Government indicating its intention to attend the WRC conciliation in its role as funder of these schemes and has now advised the WRC of this. In responding to the WRC, the Department stated that officials will be made available for the conciliation meeting at an early date and with short notice.
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 will continue to engage with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and consult with it on the likely terms of any settlement that may be reached as talks at the WRC progress. Any outcome from these discussions will need to be agreed by Government.
Minister Humphreys and I are fully committed to the future of CE and will continue to support and improve CE for the benefit of the supervisors and participants, given the valuable contribution being made to local communities through the provision of services.
I trust this clarifies the matter.