Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Last week, I raised with the Tánaiste the failure to extend the retirement age of community employment supervisors. On Monday, community employment supervisors were on strike due to the failure of the Government to engage in discussions on a pension scheme for those who supervise community employment schemes. This relates back to a Labour Court recommendation of 2008. The Tánaiste may be aware that a process was established in 2015, following discussions with SIPTU and Fórsa, to address this difficult issue. As Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform at the time, I put a subhead in the environment Vote to provide for ex gratiapayments through Pobal but this process stopped when the Labour Party left Government. Will the Government reopen and restart that process now to address a legitimate grievance? I see that the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection may well be about to answer the question. Will she commit to ensuring funding is not cut to supervisors who were on strike last week?

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