Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have also met many of the CE scheme supervisors. For several years now, they have sought through their union representatives the allocation of Exchequer funding to implement a 2008 Labour Court recommendation relating to the provision of a pension scheme. CE sponsoring authorities are the legal employers of their CE supervisors, CE assistant supervisors and CE participants and the Department's role continues to be that of a CE funder. However, the issue was examined by a community sector high-level forum chaired by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. A number of Departments, including my own, were represented on this group, as were the unions and Pobal. Officials from my Department held a series of meetings with CE supervisor union representatives to consider a range of proposals, mindful of the wider environmental and financial implications of any such proposals. Discussions were also undertaken with my Department officials and their counterparts in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and these are ongoing. I will also engage with the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, who has also met the CE supervisors.

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