Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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158. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the position regarding the provision of pension entitlements to employees such as community employment personnel that have their entire salary provided by the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5320/18]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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An issue which has been under discussion by the Community Sector High Level Forum relates to community employment supervisors and assistant supervisors who have been seeking, through their union representatives, the allocation of Exchequer funding to implement a Labour Court recommendation relating to the provision of a pension scheme.

At the April meeting of the 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.

A meeting of the Forum took place on Thursday, 23 November 2017 where the findings of the scoping exercise were shared with members of the Forum.  A follow up meeting to deal with technical questions arising from the exercise took place on Friday, 15 December 2017.