Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Community employment scheme supervisors are employees of private companies in the community and voluntary sector who receive public funding and are not employees of my Department or public servants. While the motion calls for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to meet with unions with a view to addressing the issue of CE supervisors’ pensions provision, the issue is currently being examined by the community sector high level forum, chaired by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. A number of Departments, including my own, sit on that forum, as do the unions and Pobal.

A detailed scoping exercise was carried out with input from the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service on the potential costs of providing Exchequer support for the establishment of such a pension scheme for employees across the community and voluntary sector. The exercise clearly illustrated that this matter presents a very significant issue for the Exchequer, with a potential cost to the State of €188 million per year in respect of funding to enable an employer pension contribution in State-funded community and voluntary organisations, excluding any provision for immediate ex gratialump sum payments of pensions as sought, which could, depending on the size of the sector, entail a further Exchequer cost of up to €318 million.

I am very conscious that while the issue relates to community employment supervisors and assistant supervisors, such individuals comprise just one small group within the wider community and voluntary sector. Any provision of State funding for such a scheme in respect of those employees could potentially give rise to claims for similar schemes on the part of those in the broader sector, thus crystallising the potential level of liability.

Any solution to the issue will require careful consideration given, in particular, the implications for scarce Exchequer resources. As soon as the high level committee meets, we will refer it back to the Dáil for further discussions.

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