Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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663. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the actions taken with regard to commitments made to community employment supervisors (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41671/21]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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678. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the position regarding finalising negotiations in respect of community employment supervisor pensions and gratuity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42002/21]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 663 and 678 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 this year, 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. There is also continuing contact between officials and unions representing the CE supervisors and assistant supervisors. 

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.