Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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831. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will address a matter (details supplied) regarding community employment supervisors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13088/20]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, 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 CE sponsoring bodies.  The contract agreement between the Department and the CE 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 and have always been employees of CE sponsoring bodies which operate in the community and voluntary sector. 

The Department provides funding for CE supervisor positions up until the State Pension age which is currently 66.

There are 50 CE supervisors who have reached, or will reach, the State Pension age of 66 during 2020.  They are broken down by county as follows: