Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I totally disagree with the Taoiseach. The CE schemes do tremendous work. These schemes would not be in operation if it were not for the supervisors. The supervisors on CE schemes run by certain local authorities, including Galway City Council, and Údarás na Gaeltachta have full pension rights. The Taoiseach must solve this issue. The supervisors are employed through the CE schemes. However, those schemes are administered by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, which, in turn, is controlled by the Government. The Department constantly imposes rules and regulations on these schemes and tells those involved how they should be run. New procedures are being brought in every week and the supervisors have to implement them. Those people are entitled to absolutely nothing when they retire. I know one supervisor who cannot even get a mortgage in view of the pittance he is being paid.

The Taoiseach must right this wrong. The supervisors should be brought under the remit of the Department. They should be entitled to pensions and should be put on proper contracts of work. I ask that the Taoiseach intervene personally in order to resolve this issue as a matter of urgency.

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