Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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103. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the pension entitlements for persons (details supplied) employed as managers of community employment schemes. [33805/14]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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The Department of Social Protection funds the Community Employment (CE) Schemes under the following four headings:

- Participant Allowances;

- Material Costs (running costs/overheads/insurance, etc.);

- Training Costs;

- Supervision Costs.

There are no manager posts under Community Employment and the Deputy may be referring to the supervisory funding allocated to CE Sponsoring Organisations.

There is no special arrangement for funding Supervisory pensions under Community Employment as the Department is not in a position to authorise such provision.

Employers (including CE Sponsoring Organisations) must offer access to at least one Standard Personal Retirement Savings Account (PRSA) under the Pension (Amendment) Act 2002. All CE Sponsoring Organisations were appraised of their responsibilities under this Act.

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