Written answers

Wednesday, 30 April 2014

Department of Social Protection

Pension Provisions

Photo of Willie O'DeaWillie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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366. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason she is not prepared to implement the LCR 19293 for the provision of a pension for community employment supervisors; if she will provide funding for same to allow them work to the age of 70 if they so wish; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19368/14]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Labour Court recommended in July 2008 (LCR19293) that an agreed pension scheme should be introduced for Community Employment (CE) scheme supervisors and assistant supervisors and that such a scheme should be adequately funded by FÁS. Notwithstanding the position of this Department (which now has responsibility for CE) in rejecting that liability for these costs to be met from public funds, this matter has been the subject of discussions with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the unions representing CE supervisors.

Given the level of funding that would be required from this Department, the implementation of the claim is not considered sustainable in light of the current and ongoing fiscal environment and the requirement to contain and reduce public expenditure. The costs of the introduction of any scheme are likely to be of the order of €3m per annum with retrospective costs of the order of at least €30m.

It should also be noted that this Department is not the employer of CE supervisors and such employees are not public servants. The responsibilities of the sponsoring organisations and the individuals concerned must also be recognised when considering pension provision arrangements.

The Department provides funding up to a maximum age at which a person becomes eligible for the State Pension. No CE participant or CE supervisor can be funded by the Department beyond that age.

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