Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 63 and 73 together.

As Deputies will be aware this issue relates to a claim by community employment supervisors and assistant supervisorswho have been seeking, through their union representatives, the allocation of Exchequer funding to implement a 2008 Labour Court recommendation relating to the provision of a pension scheme.

This matter was the subject of discussion at the community sector high level forum which was reconvened to examine certain issues pertaining to the community employment sector and in particular to ensure that the matter was fully examined having regard to costs and precedent. A detailed scoping exercise was carried out by my Department in 2017 in order to comprehensively examine and assess the full potential implications of the issues under consideration. The scoping exercise clearly illustrated the significant issues at play here, with a potential cost to the State of between €188 million per annum and €347 million depending on the size of the sector, in respect of funding to enable a pension contribution in State-funded community and voluntary sectors. This excludes any provision for immediate ex gratialump sum payment of pension as sought, which could, depending on the size of the sector, entail a further Exchequer cost of up to €318 million.

It continues to be the position that State organisations are not the employer of the particular employees concerned and that it is not for the State to provide funding for such pension schemes. The employees in question are, or were, employees of private companies notwithstanding the fact that the companies concerned are, or were, in receipt of State funding.

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