Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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94. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to address the issues regarding the pension and gratuity status of community employment supervisors; and her further plans to implement the Labour Court recommendation issued in 2008. [26137/21]

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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101. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of the efforts to resolve the community employment supervisors’ pension issue. [26216/21]

James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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106. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the progress on the provision of pensions for community employment scheme supervisors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26255/21]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 94, 101 and 106 together.

The Community Employment Scheme (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and others 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 authorities. The contract agreement between the Department and the CE sponsoring authorities establishes their role as an independent contractor. CE sponsoring authorities are the legal employers of CE supervisors, CE assistant supervisors and CE participants.

The CE sponsoring authorities receive state funding to cover the salary costs of supervisors, assistant supervisors and participant remuneration, training and material costs from the Department. CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors are not public servants or employees of the Department or the state.

As the Deputy will be aware, CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors have been seeking for several years, through their union representatives, the allocation of Exchequer funding to implement a 2008 Labour Court recommendation relating to the provision of a pension scheme for CE supervisors who are employed by CE schemes.

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has to have regard to any potential Exchequer exposure associated with dealing with the specific issue relating solely to CE supervisors arising from the Labour Court recommendation. Any proposal to resolve this specific issue, can and will only apply to CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors.

Within this context, officials from my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform held discussions on proposals to progress and resolve this issue over the past number of months, while having regard to the wider budgetary framework. Officials from my Department also held discussions with unions representing CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors.

I am pleased to report that agreement was reached recently between my colleagues, the Minister for Social Protection and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on proposals to resolve the long-standing issue. Details of these proposals have been forwarded to the unions representing CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors by my Department officials. I understand the unions are currently considering these proposals and have sought clarification on a number of the details contained therein. My Department are engaging with both unions on this basis.

I am confident this is a solid basis for progressing and resolving this complex issue, while ensuring there is no potential exposure for additional costs to the exchequer.

Minister Humphreys and I will continue to support CE for the benefit of the CE participants and the valuable contribution being made to local communities.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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95. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of places approved for the community employment scheme and the Tús scheme nationally; the number of participants on these schemes, respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25422/21]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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My Department provides a range of social employment and training programmes that are targeted at long-term unemployed jobseekers. These supports include Community Employment and Tús.

The aim of both schemes is to enhance the employability of disadvantaged and unemployed people, by providing work experience opportunities for participants. CE also provides valuable training opportunities for participants.

The 2021 Budget for CE is €362.7 million which provides for approximately 22,668 CE placements. The Budget for Tús is €98.77 million which provides for approximately 5,825 Tús placements.

At the end of April 2021 there were 19,371 participants on CE and 4,044 participants on Tús. The number of referrals to CE and Tus has been impacted by public health restrictions in place over the past year. It is anticipated that referrals will now begin to increase as the economy re-opens with the vaccine rollout.

In addition, as part of the July Stimulus Package 2020, the Government announced 3,000 additional places on state employment programmes. The additional places will be distributed between CE and Tús. These additional places will provide additional valuable opportunities for long-term unemployed persons, including eligible long term unemployed persons whose employment is affected by the pandemic. They will support CE and Tús schemes in providing further services to local communities. The Department is working on the assignment and distribution of these new places.

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.