Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. At the outset, I want to acknowledge the excellent work that is done on the full range of schemes, including the community employment, Tús and rural social schemes, supported by my Department, and the contribution that these schemes and their workers make to communities across the country. Work schemes, such as Tús and the community employment scheme, are positive initiatives that enable the long-term unemployed to make a significant contribution to their communities while upskilling themselves for prospective future employment. The rural social scheme, RSS, provides farmers and fishers with income support while continuing to work in the area of farming or fishing and also make a contribution to their community. At present, there are more than 10,000 places available on Tús and the RSS, with a budget of over €160 million available to support the schemes in 2022.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Department of Social Protection sponsors and funds these schemes that are delivered by independent bodies. While the Department funds participant and supervisor wages, the Department is not the employer of any scheme participants, their supervisors or team leaders. Furthermore, the State is not responsible for funding pension arrangements for employees of private companies, even where the companies in question are reliant on State funding. Pension arrangements are a matter to be agreed between employees and their employers.

All employers, including the rural social scheme and Tús implementing bodies, are legally obliged to offer access to at least one standard personal retirement savings account under the Pensions (Amendment) Act 2002.

Community employment supervisors and assistant supervisors have been seeking the implementation of a 2008 Labour Court recommendation relating to the provision of a pension scheme for a number of years. Discussion had been ongoing for several years through their union representatives to reach an agreement and to have Exchequer funding allocated for this purpose. The discussions that led to the agreement were held in the clear knowledge and agreement of all involved that they related solely to those parties who were the subject of the 2008 Labour Court recommendation, namely, community employment supervisors and assistant supervisors, and that any agreement reached arising from these discussions would apply only to those parties. The Deputy will be aware that a settlement was recently reached on this issue when the unions involved confirmed acceptance on 23 December 2021 of the ex gratiapayment. That settlement will now benefit more than 2,200 people who employed by community employment schemes since 2008. The settlement is estimated to have a total cost of over €24 million.

Under the terms of this settlement, upon reaching retirement age, community employment supervisors and assistant supervisors will receive a once off ex gratiapayment for time employed by community employment schemes since 2008. People who have retired since 2008 will be able to apply for payments immediately when the scheme is in place. The Department is now working to put in place the administrative arrangements to implement the agreed settlement so that payments will issue to qualified community employment workers this year.

The discussions leading to this agreement were held in the context of a specific Labour Court recommendation, dating back to 2008. This was acknowledged by all participants in the discussions and so the specific agreement referred to by the Deputy is framed in that context and cannot extend to any other workers.

See this speech in context