Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach and his Ministers have given various answers indicating that CE supervisors are not employed by the State. If we go right back to the start of the CE schemes, however, sponsors were set up as an arm of the State. The best voluntary people in the country fronted these organisations. It is completely wrong to declare they were not employed by the State. These people acted as sponsors in the best interests of their communities. The Labour Court has issued a recommendation in favour of the CE supervisors and a motion on the issue was passed by two thirds of the Dáil. The issue will not go away and must be addressed. An industrial dispute in the second week of May would have a detrimental effect on the fantastic work being done by CE schemes and supervisors. This Minister must address the issue by talking to these people to see where we go from here.

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