John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The programme for Government states that the Government will respect the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, and the Labour Court and ensure that both bodies are supported to fulfil their roles. Does the commitment still stand? When we were dealing with the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, the Minister cited legitimate concerns about the implications of proposed amendments on the working of the WRC and the Labour Court and those concerns was addressed. There was a clear ruling by the WRC in 2008, which has been ignored by successive Ministers and Governments, affecting 1,250 CE supervisors and assistant supervisors. The Minister hides behind the scoping exercise that is being carried out, brings in the community and voluntary sector and comes up with the figure of €188 million, which was not part of the WRC ruling from 2008. The WRC was categoric in what was being proposed, namely, that pensions should be provided for CE supervisors and assistant supervisors. Could the Minister provide an exact figure on the cost to provide a pension scheme solely for CE supervisors and assistant supervisors, who are individuals doing exceptional work across communities in this State?

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