Séamus Healy (Tipperary, Workers and Unemployed Action Group) | Oireachtas source

It needs to be said again that the absence of the Ministers, Deputies Regina Doherty and Donohoe, is effectively an insult to this House and to the CE supervisors and assistant supervisors who have turned up for tonight's debate. I welcome all those who have come from all corners of the country to be here tonight. I thank them for the work they do in communities throughout the country. In particular, I acknowledge those from Tipperary. I acknowledge Teresa Hinchey from Tipperary town who is the national chairperson of the SIPTU supervisors.

I confirm my support for the Private Members' motion before us tonight. A pension is a basic employment entitlement for workers. As someone who has been a trade unionist all my life and continues to be a member of Fórsa, one of the unions involved in representing the supervisors and assistant supervisors, I always believed that a Labour Court recommendation was the final place to go. Those who got a favourable recommendation were then in a position to ensure that their claim was fulfilled. It is an absolute shame that the Government would refuse to accept a Labour Court recommendation and particularly one that goes back ten years to 22 July 2008.

At about 3 p.m. Deputies got an email from the head usher who informed us that the Public Gallery was oversubscribed for tonight. That is a relatively rare occurrence here. It is an indication of the depth and strength of feeling of supervisors and assistant supervisors on the issue. It is an indication of the frustration and anger they feel on the issue.

We had a presentation and a briefing in the AV Room last Wednesday at which there was an unprecedented attendance from Members of both Houses of the Oireachtas. That is an indication of the respect Members have for these schemes, for the supervisors, the assistant supervisors and the participants in the schemes. On a daily basis Members of this House meet scheme members, supervisors and assistant supervisors in their normal representations for communities and for individuals. It is an indication of the huge community work done by the schemes and their participants.

The schemes deal with every aspect of community life, including crèches, tidy towns, GAA, soccer, rugby and other sporting organisations, and day care for the elderly. They are involved in every facet of community life in every village, town and indeed city in the country. The attendance by Members of the House at last week's briefing is an indication of the respect the Members of the House have for the participants in the schemes and their supervisors.

It would be disgraceful if the Government forced community employment supervisors and assistant supervisors into industrial action. It would be unprecedented and the Government should pull back from that tonight. If the Government refuses to ensure that pensions are payable to the supervisors and assistant supervisors, I, for one, will support the supervisors in taking industrial action if that is necessary. If such industrial action were forced on supervisors and assistant supervisors, it would create chaos in communities throughout the country.

The Government needs to remember that the workload taken on by supervisors and assistant supervisors has been phenomenal over the years. Many schemes have been amalgamated, and supervisors and assistant supervisors have taken on additional work. They got no compensation for that work. They have taken it on gladly and allowed the schemes to continue to operate. Of course, there have been no pay increases for the past ten years. About 1,250 supervisors and assistant supervisors are involved in the schemes. They need to be dealt with reasonably and urgently, and must get what they are entitled to.

In my view a pension is a basic employment right. Many supervisors and assistant supervisors will retire over a period of time. This year it is expected that anything up to 40 may retire with a similar figure last year. In dealing with this pension issue, people who are due to retire in the next few years must also be dealt with properly. We must remember that very many supervisors and assistant supervisors have retired in recent years with no pension except the State pension. Those supervisors and assistant supervisors have worked in these schemes for well over 20 years - some of them for nearly 30 years. One lady in Fethard, County Tipperary, who retired in recent times, was involved in the schemes for nearly 30 years. She is recognised as somebody who put huge effort into the organisation of community games in south Tipperary. People like that lady must also be dealt with under this scheme.

Of course, the moneys involved in this are relatively small - €6 million on an annual basis and about €19.5 million on a once-off basis. As Deputy Connolly said earlier, we are told that €3.2 billion is available for the coming budget. Fianna Fáil would be well advised to remember that and to ensure that if this issue is not solved before the budget, it gets solved in the budget. The money is there and Fianna Fáil has the power to ensure it happens.

I appeal to the Government to withdraw its amendment, which is an insult to this House and to the CE supervisors and assistant supervisors. There is not an ounce of goodwill in that amendment. It shamefully kicks the can further down the road and refuses to grant pensions to the supervisors and assistant supervisors. Now is the time for the Government to withdraw that shameful and disgraceful amendment. Now is the time for the Government to ensure that supervisors and assistant supervisors get the pensions to which they are entitled, that people who due to retire in the next few years are dealt with properly and that those who retired in the recent past are also dealt with.

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