Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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1139. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the position regarding the provision of pensions or other beneficial payments for current and former community employment supervisors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40431/21]

Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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1143. 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. [40492/21]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1139 and 1143 together.

As the Deputies 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 and assistant supervisors who are employed by CE scheme sponsors.

This claim creates some difficulties because the State is not 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. Department officials 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 CE assistant supervisors. The unions have made a number of observations, and these are now being examined by my officials in conjunction with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

My officials are continuing 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 Deputies.

Brendan Griffin (Kerry, Fine Gael)
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1140. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will increase the old age pension in Budget 2022 in view of rising costs of living for pensioners and the pressures that these costs are putting pensioners under; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40436/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I will be considering options for Budget 2022 over the coming months in the context of available resources.

In addition, as provided for in the Programme for Government, a Commission on Pensions was established. As part of its work, the Commission was asked to develop a range of options for the Government to consider in order to address the sustainability of the state pension and the Social Insurance Fund in terms of pension age, eligibility criteria, contribution rates, pension calculation methods and pension payment rates.

The Commission is due to report to me in the near future and the Government has committed to taking action on its recommendations within six months.