Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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710. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if community employment supervisors will be allowed the option of working to 70 years of age (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32308/18]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Community Employment (CE) participants and supervisors are employees of private companies in the community and voluntary sector. My Department is not the employer of CE participants or supervisors and such employees are not public servants but are employees of the sponsoring organisations. Therefore they are not subject to the changes recently introduced for public servants who can now work until they are 70 years.

Funding for the employment of supervisors on community employment is available until the supervisor reaches state pension age. The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 provided for the necessary amendments to increase the state pension age in line with the National Pensions Framework. It provided for an increase in the age for qualification for the state pension from 66 years to 67 years from 2021, and a further increase to 68 years from 2028.

It is open to CE supervisors to remain on CE until the working day before their birthday at which they reach State Pension age as follows:

- 66 for those born before 1 January 1955;

- 67 for those born on or after 1 January 1955; and

- 68 for those born on or after 1 January 1961

There are currently no plans to make any changes to the funding available for CE supervisors as they are already allowed to remain until the current State Pension age i.e. 66 years at present.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.