Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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545. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason community employment supervisors were treated differently from CDP workers that were employed by community projects in relation to their pension entitlements. [19686/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Community Employment (CE) supervisors are employees of private companies in the community and voluntary sector. In the circumstances, the State is not responsible for funding pension arrangements for such employees even where the companies in question are reliant on State funding. It is open to individuals to make provision for a pension by way of PRSA which all employers are obliged to facilitate.

Nevertheless, the Deputy should note that the issue of CE supervisors’ pension provision is currently being examined by a Community Sector High Level Forum, under the auspices and chairmanship of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. My Department is represented on this group, as are IMPACT and SIPTU, the Department of Environment and Pobal. The provision of State funding for a pension scheme could impact on employees of other companies in the community and voluntary sector who are funded to a greater or lesser extent by the State and this is part of the ongoing considerations. The Forum last met on 7 April, 2017 and I understand their work is on-going.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.