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Community Employment Schemes

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 2 June 2022

Thursday, 2 June 2022

Ceisteanna (295, 297, 299)

Denis Naughten

Ceist:

295. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason that her Department has failed to honour an Enhanced Redundancy Agreement for community employment supervisors since 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28691/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Paul Donnelly

Ceist:

297. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that her Department has failed to honour an enhanced redundancy agreement to community employment supervisors since 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28730/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Seán Fleming

Ceist:

299. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection when her Department will make the payments under the Enhanced Redundancy Agreement to Community Employment Supervisors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28786/22]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 295, 297 and 299 together.

At the outset, I wish to acknowledge the valuable and dedicated service that Community Employment (CE) supervisors and 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.

If circumstances arise where a CE supervisor is made redundant by their employer (the sponsor organisation) and qualifies for a payment under the Redundancy Payments Acts 1967, the supervisor would be entitled to statutory redundancy at a rate of two weeks’ pay per year of service, plus a further week’s pay, subject to a limit of €600 per week. 

The Department is not the employer of CE supervisors and payment of redundancy over and above the statutory requirement is a matter for the employer which in this instance is the CE sponsor. Generally where CE schemes close, every effort is made to maintain services through amalgamation with other schemes with employment maintained for CE supervisors and places protected for participants.  This minimises the need for redundancy, but where a redundancy arises, it is an issue for the employer to resolve. 

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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