Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 February 2023
12. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide an update on engagement from her Department with community employment supervisors regarding their employment-related concerns; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6038/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraCan the Minister of State give me an update on the engagement where I know that the Department has entered talks in the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, in respect of pay, and terms and conditions, in particular, for community employment supervisors? The Minister had confirmed in the past week at the committee the hope that all supervisors would be looked at once and for all in respect of the ongoing talks, which is very welcome. Can I ask for an update on the engagement to date, please?
I thank the Deputy for the question. The 1,640 supervisors and assistant supervisors provide a very important role running over 840 community employment, CE, and other schemes countrywide. As the Deputy knows, these schemes deliver important locally-based community services, while providing a valuable training and development opportunity to the long-term unemployed and to those furthest removed from the labour market. CE supervisors and assistant supervisors are employees of the individual CE schemes, which are funded by the Department. Neither the Department nor the State are the employer of this group of workers. As the funder of CE schemes, the Department of Social Protection is in ongoing contact with CE supervisors' representatives, including union representatives, on employment-related matters.
On the specific issue on pay, in the past year, the Department received correspondence from Fórsa and SIPTU seeking a pay increase for CE supervisors and assistant supervisors. Fórsa and SIPTU, along with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, ICTU, subsequently referred this pay claim to the conciliation service of the Workplace Relations Commission. The WRC issued an invitation to the Department to take part in a conciliation process. Following Government approval, the Department responded to the WRC indicating that it will engage with a WRC conciliation process, in its role as funder of these schemes. This conciliation process is now under way, with the first meeting in the WRC held in the past week on Thursday, 2 February. Departmental officials attended and engaged with ICTU, Fórsa and SIPTU representatives to progress the this issue.
As the Deputy will appreciate, while this process is under way I am not in a position to comment further other than to say I am hopeful that an agreed and fair resolution can be reached through this conciliation process.
It should be noted that any increase in CE supervisor pay rates that would increase the overall cost to the State of funding employment schemes must take into consideration the potential cost to the Exchequer, and ultimately the taxpayer. Therefore, the Department will also continue to engage with the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform during the WRC process. If there are budgetary implications arising from the WRC process, these will need Government approval.
The Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and I are fully committed to the CE schemes and recognise the valuable contribution being made to local communities through the provision of services and in helping long-term unemployed participants back to work.
I thank the Minister of State for his reply and I do not believe anyone in this House would disagree with the fact that community employment provides essential and key services and supports right across the State. They provide services that in many cases would otherwise simply not exist. The supervisors and the assistant supervisors, in particular, have a significant responsibility when it comes to the running of these schemes, particularly because of the people and the communities they serve and their importance.
I wish to clarify one issue. The WRC talks and initial engagement came on the back of the pay claim that was submitted for community employment supervisors and assistant supervisors. In respect of supervisors within Tús and the rural social scheme, RSS, is that being looked at either separately to the pay claim or as part of it, because that was mentioned in the committee last week? I thank the Minister of State.
Yes, is the short answer. We were eager, when we were going through a process like this and when there are schemes with quite strong similarities that are all couched under the employment support schemes I oversee, that they would be looked at in the whole and that would be important. We are eager to look at CE, Tús, RSS and the job initiative, JI, supervisors in this process.
I thank the Minister of State and I appreciate that he cannot speak to the ongoing deliberations within the WRC but this is a welcome move. The supervisors, be it in Tús, RSS or in community employment, have not seen a pay rise since 2008, which is a long time. During that period, they have had additional workload and responsibilities because of the demand within the communities for the support of those schemes. In many cases, there has been a great deal more demand from the public and people in communities for assistance for various clubs and organisations that require and seek the support of all of these very important schemes on the ground. This is welcome and I hope that progress will be made without delay through the WRC.
There obviously will be a major role for the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform in all of this. It needs to be to the fore to ensure that whenever a deal is made that it is progressed as quickly as possible.
We all know the very good work which CE supervisors and their assistants do and of the commitment which the Government is giving to these workers. I am aware that the talks have been going on since April, with a 2% increase in November and a further 1% increase thereafter. This is unacceptable. A great deal more talking needs to happen.
The CE supervisors have not had an increase since 2008, which is 15 years ago. I met a group of CE supervisors recently who told me there are some people on the CE scheme who, because of the welcome increases provided by the Minister, are earning more money than the CE supervisors themselves. I am delighted that the Minister of State is talking but I ask him to ensure that he gives the proper increase to our CE supervisors and to their assistants. The work they do in our communities is very valuable. I know that both Ministers are committed to this. I thank them for that and I know that that they are aware of the importance of a proper increase in their pay.
I thank both Deputies and agree with their sentiments on the valuable nature of all the supervisors across all of the schemes and the work they do. I am hopeful that an agreed and fair resolution can be reached through the conciliation process. The unions have requested an adjournment. We have agreed to that but there is an agreement to meet again next month. I will leave it at that for now.
