Written answers

Tuesday, 12 February 2019

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection

Community Employment Schemes Supervisors

Photo of Michael FitzmauriceMichael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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707. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if supervisors and assistant supervisors of community employment schemes can transfer to another scheme operated by a different sponsoring organisation when a scheme closes; if they must be made redundant before taking up a new position; if the entitlements they have built up in their time on the initial schemes will be honoured by the second employer if they transfer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6414/19]

Photo of Regina DohertyRegina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Work schemes such as Community Employment (CE) are positive initiatives that enable the long-term unemployed to make a contribution to their communities whilst up-skilling themselves for prospective future employment. This scheme helps to break the cycle of unemployment and improve a person’s chances to return to the labour market.

CE schemes are typically sponsored by groups (known as sponsors organisations) wishing to benefit the local community. My Department agrees participant numbers annually with each CE sponsor organisation who are the employer and who are then responsible for the recruitment of participants and for identifying suitable work placements.

If schemes are unable to fill their participant places, my Department can give consideration to merging the scheme with another scheme in order to ensure viability. In these circumstances, the Supervisor or Assistant Supervisor can transfer directly to the new scheme if there is a position of the same rank available and their rights are then protected by legislation. A business taken over by another employer as a result of a legal merger or the transfer of the rights of the employees are protected by the following legislation, the European Communities (Protection of Employees on Transfer of Undertakings) Regulations 2003.

Generally a redundancy situation for a supervisor/assistant supervisor would only arise if the scheme closed with no agreement for an amalgamation with another scheme or if there was no position at the same rank on amalgamation.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

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