Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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141. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the workers who were forced onto the pandemic unemployment and are subsequently made redundant will have the length of time on the payment counted towards eligibility for community employment schemes. [35140/21]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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Community Employment (CE) Scheme 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 focus of CE is on long-term unemployed people, that is people who have been unemployed for more than twelve months.

A key qualifying condition for the majority of CE candidates is that a person must first be in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment for a minimum of 12 months.

The Pandemic Unemployment Payment is an income support introduced as a temporary measure to address the emergency needs of people who lost employment as a direct consequence of COVID-19. It is not a qualifying payment for Community Employment. However, time spent in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment counts towards the duration of unemployment required to be eligible for CE. A person in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will need to qualify for an eligible payment, for example Jobseeker’s Allowance, before they can become eligible for CE. Once eligibility for CE has been confirmed, unemployed persons can apply for a range of CE vacancies accessible within their community which will provide opportunities to avail of the valuable training and work experience available on the CE schemes.

A significant number of recipients of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will return to their previous employment as the COVID-19 restrictions continue to ease. Unfortunately, however, others will not. I am aware of the significant number of persons who have been on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment since March and April 2020, who could benefit from the opportunities provided by CE placements if their previous jobs do not return over the coming period.

I will continue to support and improve the CE programme for the benefit of long-term unemployed participants, including those whose are now long term unemployed arising from Covid-19.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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142. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the position regarding community employment supervisor pensions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35123/21]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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As the Deputy will be aware, Community Employment (CE) E 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 and assistant supervisors who are employed by CE scheme sponsors.

This claim creates some difficulties because the State is not, in fact, the employer of the 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 complex issue, while having regard to the wider budgetary framework. Officials from my Department also held discussions with unions representing CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors.

At the start of April, agreement was reached with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on proposals to resolve the long-standing issue. These proposals include a financial package.

I am confident these proposals are a solid basis for progressing and resolving this complex issue.Discussions on these proposals are ongoing between my Department and the unions representing CE supervisors and assistant supervisors.The unions have made some observations and these are now being examined by my officials in conjunction with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

My officials continue to progress this matter as a priority and I would hope that these discussions can reach a conclusion in the near future.

I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.