Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 June 2018
44. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the steps she has taken following the passing of a motion in Dáil Éireann in relation to pension entitlements for community employment supervisors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26408/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Minister will be aware, a motion on this matter was discussed comprehensively in the Dáil and overwhelmingly supported. When will the will of the Dáil be implemented in this regard?
Community employment scheme supervisors are employees of private companies in the community and voluntary sector who receive public funding and are not employees of my Department or public servants. While the motion calls for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to meet with unions with a view to addressing the issue of CE supervisors’ pensions provision, the issue is currently being examined by the community sector high level forum, chaired by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. A number of Departments, including my own, sit on that forum, as do the unions and Pobal.
A detailed scoping exercise was carried out with input from the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service on the potential costs of providing Exchequer support for the establishment of such a pension scheme for employees across the community and voluntary sector. The exercise clearly illustrated that this matter presents a very significant issue for the Exchequer, with a potential cost to the State of €188 million per year in respect of funding to enable an employer pension contribution in State-funded community and voluntary organisations, excluding any provision for immediate ex gratia lump sum payments of pensions as sought, which could, depending on the size of the sector, entail a further Exchequer cost of up to €318 million.
I am very conscious that while the issue relates to community employment supervisors and assistant supervisors, such individuals comprise just one small group within the wider community and voluntary sector. Any provision of State funding for such a scheme in respect of those employees could potentially give rise to claims for similar schemes on the part of those in the broader sector, thus crystallising the potential level of liability.
Any solution to the issue will require careful consideration given, in particular, the implications for scarce Exchequer resources. As soon as the high level committee meets, we will refer it back to the Dáil for further discussions.
I dispute the Minister's figure strongly. I regard the figure as absolute nonsense. Leaving that aside, I had occasion to meet the people in question last week. They were here and saw the Dáil in all its pomp and ceremony pass the motion on their behalf but they have not heard a single word from any source since. They asked me to ask the Minister to instruct her civil servants to meet them and apprise them of what is going on. The Minister said a high level committee was looking at the matter. When did that committee last meet? How many times has it met this year?
If the Deputy has an issue with the numbers, which clearly he does, I suggest he takes that up with the IGEES-----
I would be happy to.
-----which is the independent authority which came up with the scoping issue.
It depends on what one is calculating.
I cannot answer the Deputy's question as to how often the committee has met, because I do not know. However, I will find out for the Deputy. As for meeting CE supervisors, I do so when I visit CE schemes nationally and, on a more official level, my Department meets and communicates with them on a weekly basis. The best thing for me to do is write to the chairman of the committee to find out when it next plans to sit. I will revert to the Deputy as to his response.
