Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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120. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of the provision of a pension for community employment scheme supervisors; the actions taken by him to resolve this issue; if he will report on the meetings held by the high-level forum since it was established to resolve this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50859/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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At the April meeting of the Community Sector High Level Forum, my Department outlined its intention to conduct a detailed scoping exercise in order to comprehensively examine and assess the full potential implications of the issues under consideration. In considering the particular matter referred to, regard must be had to the costs and precedent of such an arrangement were one to be created.

It continues 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 costs and the precedent of such an arrangement were one to be created given that the individuals employed in that sector are not employed by the State, even if many of the services they provide are funded by the State.

A meeting of the Forum took place last Thursday, 23 November, at which the findings of the scoping exercise were shared with members of the Forum.  A following meeting to deal with technical questions arising from the exercise will be arranged in the coming weeks.