Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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295. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason that her Department has failed to honour an Enhanced Redundancy Agreement for community employment supervisors since 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28691/22]

Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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297. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that her Department has failed to honour an enhanced redundancy agreement to community employment supervisors since 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28730/22]

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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299. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when her Department will make the payments under the Enhanced Redundancy Agreement to Community Employment Supervisors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28786/22]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 295, 297 and 299 together.

At the outset, I wish to acknowledge the valuable and dedicated service that Community Employment (CE) supervisors and assistant supervisors provide in running CE schemes in delivering local based community services, while providing a valuable training and development opportunity to the long-term unemployed and to those often furthest removed from the labour market.

If circumstances arise where a CE supervisor is made redundant by their employer (the sponsor organisation) and qualifies for a payment under the Redundancy Payments Acts 1967, the supervisor would be entitled to statutory redundancy at a rate of two weeks’ pay per year of service, plus a further week’s pay, subject to a limit of €600 per week. 

The Department is not the employer of CE supervisors and payment of redundancy over and above the statutory requirement is a matter for the employer which in this instance is the CE sponsor. Generally where CE schemes close, every effort is made to maintain services through amalgamation with other schemes with employment maintained for CE supervisors and places protected for participants.  This minimises the need for redundancy, but where a redundancy arises, it is an issue for the employer to resolve. 

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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296. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when payments will be made to retired community employment supervisors in line with the agreement between the union representing the supervisors and her Department; and when the new pension plan for community employment supervisors will be put in place; the reason for the delay in concluding this matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28692/22]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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As the Deputy will be aware, Community Employment (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.

At the outset, I wish to acknowledge the valuable and dedicated service that CE supervisors and assistant supervisors provide in running CE schemes in delivering local based community services while providing a valuable training and development opportunity to the long-term unemployed and to those often furthest removed from the labour market.

I am pleased that an agreement was reached between the Department of Social Protection and unions representing CE supervisors and assistant supervisors that resolves this long-standing issue through the payment of a once off ex-gratia payment to eligible CE supervisors and assistant supervisors.  On 23 December 2021, both unions involved confirmed acceptance of this settlement which will benefit over 2,200 people employed by CE schemes going back to 2008.  It is estimated to have a total cost of over €24 million.

Under the terms of this settlement, on reaching retirement age, eligible CE supervisors and assistant supervisors will receive a once off ex-gratia payment in respect of time employed by CE schemes since 2008.  People who retired since 2008 and who have reached retirement age will be able to apply for payments immediately when the scheme is in place.  The ex-gratia payment provides for 2 week’s pay per year of service or part thereof, in the qualifying period.  The calculation will be based on the salary point of the CE supervisor or assistant supervisor on the date of retirement, subject to a cap of €600 per week.

The qualifying period for the scheme is from 1 July 2008 to 31 December 2023 and will apply to all periods of employment as a CE supervisor or assistant supervisor during that period.

The Department of Social Protection is currently in the process of finalising the administrative arrangements to implement the agreed settlement with a view to payments issuing to qualified CE supervisors and assistant supervisors by the end of July.  There is no delay and arrangements are being put in place to process these payments as quickly as possible. 

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy