Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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162. To ask the Minister for Social Protection his views on the fact that no pension entitlements, other than the basic entitlement to the State pension, accrue for persons that give many years of their lives to working for community employment schemes, in view of the fact that such schemes are publicly funded and provide a vital public service; his plans to remedy this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22340/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Community Employment (CE) participants and supervisors are not employed by my Department, rather they are employees of private companies in the community and voluntary sector. Given that situation, 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 pension provision for CE supervisors 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, SIPTU, the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government and Pobal. The Forum last met on 7 April 2017 and I understand that their work is on-going.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.