Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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253. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the efforts made to date to resolve the impasse regarding community employment supervisor and assistant supervisors pension claims; the extent to which her Department is in cooperation with the WRC on the matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48429/19]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Community Employment Scheme (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a temporary, fixed term basis.

The programme is delivered through independent Community Employment Sponsoring Bodies. The contract agreement between the Department and the Community Employment Sponsoring Body establishes their role as an independent contractor, responsible for all purposes and all persons recruited by them

CE Supervisors are not employed by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. CE Supervisors have always been employees of Community Employment Sponsoring Bodies which operate in the community and voluntary sector.

I am very aware of the valuable and dedicated service that Community Employment (CE) sponsor organisations provide in running CE Schemes across the country. CE supervisors, as employees of these organisations, are an integral part of that good work.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Department is currently engaging with representatives of CE supervisors to discuss issues arising following that 2008 Labour Court Recommendation and that all parties agreed that the detail of all discussions undertaken by the group should remain confidential until the process had completed. I would ask Deputies to respect these wishes and allow the talks to continue free from speculation.

In relation to the Workplace Relations Commission judgement, the Department received the Adjudication Officer’s decision on Monday 4^thNovember. My Department is reviewing the decision at present and has sought legal advice on it.