Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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383. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to his reply to correspondence to him by this Deputy of 3 April 2017 concerning community employment schemes and the issue of a pension entitlement (details supplied), the progress made to resolve this dispute; if he will host talks with the stakeholders with the view to resolve this dispute; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24448/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The High Level Working Group on the Community Sector was established to give consideration, inter alia, to the matters raised by the Deputy.  The Group last met on 7 April and was briefed on a comprehensive scoping exercise that will get underway over the coming months.

The position has always been that FÁS or the Department of Social Protection is not the employer and that it is not possible for the State to provide funding for such a scheme to employees of private companies even if those companies are, or were, reliant on State funding.  In considering the matter, I must have regard to costs and the precedent of such an arrangement were one to be created.