Tom Neville (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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289. To ask the Minister for Social Protection his views on funding for supervision on community employment schemes that has been withdrawn by his Department when supervisors-assistants reaching State pension age; if there are equality matters associated with this procedure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24021/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Community Employment (CE) is a non-statutory scheme put in place to support persons who are long-term unemployed and other vulnerable groups to gain the confidence and skills to re-enter the labour market. Schemes are sponsored by local community and voluntary groups who provide valuable support services to local communities. These sponsoring organisations employ supervisory staff to administer the scheme.

Funding is provided by the Department to the sponsoring organisations for the employment of staff up to state pension age. Once the staff member reaches state pension age (currently 66 years of age), that person can no longer be funded under CE. This is a long-established procedure which sponsoring organisations have signed up to as part of their contractual arrangement with the Department and it is applied equally across all schemes participating on CE. The Equality Authority has confirmed the Department’s procedure for cessation of funding under CE at State Pension age does not constitute age-related discrimination.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.