Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving us the opportunity to discuss this matter and I thank Deputy Calleary for organising the debate. I have been involved with a CE scheme since 1988. I recall meeting Mr. Ruairí Quinn, the then Minister for Labour in 1990. There are huge issues with these schemes and I have called for decades for an audit to be done as to their value. As Deputies Calleary, Butler and Cullinane said, the schemes are no good unless they have good, competent supervisors. His or her role has changed fundamentally in the past 30 years. It bears no relation to what it used to be. There are numerous health and safety and other regulations and they have many agencies to deal with. They first have to deal with the voluntary board of directors whom I must salute as well for doing good work. They then have to deal with all the constituency organisations. My local scheme looks after parts of Deputy Butler's constituency, including Ballymacarbry, Newcastle and Ballybacon, three parishes and communities where everything from graveyards to schools to GAA pitches, community alert schemes and a naíonra are looked after. I could go on for ever.

The supervisor is pulled and dragged every day by this, that and the other, apart from the all the agencies and regulations he or she has to deal with. I respect that this has to be done and that every penny must be accounted for. However, they have been abandoned. Many schemes have been amalgamated and supervisors have lost their jobs but they do not have any pensions. We need to recognise their work and salute them because they are filling in for the county council and the HSE as regards visiting the elderly, providing home help and so on. They are the real champions and 99.9 % of them do a tremendous job. Any of them who do not are weeded out.

These people are being abused and misused by the State. They are entitled to some recognition for the valuable service they provide. The most important job they have, especially in these times when there are such mental health issues, is to look after the well-being of all participants on their schemes - and sometimes their families - to ensure that they are in a safe environment where there is no bullying or racism, that the regulations are observed and that the everyday human issues they face are dealt with. Many of them, including our local supervisor, do this diligently. We need to recognise this and not hide behind red tape any more.

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