Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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132. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department has produced costings in respect of extending pension entitlement to all community employment scheme supervisors and assistant supervisors; if he will provide details of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26354/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The Community Sector High Level Forum (or Working Group) (previously the Informal Forum) was convened in 2015 and 2016 to examine certain issues pertaining to the Community Employment sector having regard to the implications for costs and precedent.   The Forum continues to meet, most recently on 7th April last, to give consideration to the issues to which the Deputy refers. A costing's exercise is currently being progressed and should be completed later this year.

It does however continue to be the position that state organisations are not the employer of the particular employees concerned and that it is not possible for the State to provide funding for such a scheme. The employees in question are, or were, employees of private companies notwithstanding the fact that the companies concerned are, or were, reliant on State funding.  In considering the matter, regard must be had to the costs and the precedent of such an arrangement were one to be created.  Further detailed scoping work is required in this regard over the coming months and I look forward to being briefed on the outcome of that work in due course.