Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 February 2023
479. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Social Protection the up-to-date position in relation to negotiations regarding employees (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8542/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraCommunity Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide long term unemployed people with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities,
I am very aware of the important role that CE supervisors, assistant supervisors and participants play in providing valuable and local based community services across the country.
As the Deputy will be aware, CE supervisors, assistant supervisors and participants are employees of the individual CE schemes, which are funded by the Department. Neither the Department, or the state, is the employer of these groups of workers.
The Department of Social Protection, in its role as funder of CE schemes is in ongoing contact with CE supervisors' representatives including union representatives, on a range of issues of common concern.
In relation to the specific issue on pay, the Department received correspondence last year from Fórsa and SIPTU seeking a pay increase for CE supervisors and assistant supervisors. Fórsa and SIPTU, along with ICTU, subsequently referred this 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. Following Government approval, the Department responded to the WRC indicating a willingness to engage with a WRC conciliation process, in its role as funder of these schemes.
This conciliation process is now underway - with the first meeting in the WRC held on Thursday 2nd February. Department officials attended and engaged with ICTU, Fórsa and SIPTU representatives to progress this issue. As the Deputy will appreciate, while this process is underway, 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, NDP Delivery and Reform during the WRC process. If there are budgetary implications arising from the WRC process - these will need Government approval.
As the Deputy may be aware, pay rates for CE participants are a separate matter. Their rate of payment is related to the underlying value of certain social protection payments plus €27.50 per week. As part Budget 2023, participants on CE schemes received an increase of €17 per week; increasing the minimum payment from €230.50 to €247.50 per week from January 2023.
In addition, weekly payments for qualified child dependents increased by €2 to €50 for children aged 12 or over and to €40 for children aged up to 12.
A number of once off bonus payments were also announced in Budget 2023, which have benefited eligible CE participants, including a once off payment of €400 for those in receipt of the Fuel Allowance. These are in addition to the Autumn Cost of Living double week payment, the double payment of Child Benefit in November and the Christmas double payment in December 2022.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
