Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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272. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if further efforts have been made to ensure the provision of a pension or gratuity scheme for community employment supervisors and assistants, which has been long-standing and which has involved IMPACT and SIPTU in negotiations to try and achieve a resolution and which also involved the Department of Social Protection; the position regarding same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33868/16]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The issue of pension entitlements for Community Employment Scheme Supervisors and Assistant Supervisors was the subject of a Labour Court recommendation in 2008. The position is that although the employing bodies concerned are mainly funded by public expenditure programmes, the State does not have any role as an employer in this sector and the employees of such bodies are not public servants.

This matter together with other related issues is the subject of discussion at the Community Sector High Level Forum (or Working Group) (previously the Informal Forum) which was convened to examine certain issues pertaining to the Community Employment sector.  The forum met on 27 November 2015 and on 11 April 2016.  Future meetings will be planned once a new Chair has been appointed.