Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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377. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the remuneration for supervisors of community employment schemes has been linked to any grade in the public service; and the progress in negotiations to recognise such people in terms of pay and conditions, and pension rights. [45755/22]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long-term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons 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 who are the legal employers of CE supervisors and CE assistant supervisors. CE sponsoring authorities receive state funding from the Department to cover the cost of remuneration, and to support training and material costs. Therefore, the position is that CE scheme supervisors are employees of private companies in the community and voluntary sector, that receive public funding.

As such, pay and conditions of CE supervisors are matters for the employer and not my Department as the employees concerned are not public servants, but employees of individual schemes. There is no link to grades or rates of pay between CE supervisors and public servants.

Earlier this year unions representing CE supervisors did submit a claim, to increase the pay of CE supervisors, to my Department as the funder of schemes. My officials have had an initial meeting with unions and have agreed to meet again later in the year’.

My Department acknowledges the valuable and dedicated service that CE 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.

My Department is fully committed to the future of CE and will continue to support and improve CE for the benefit of the supervisors and participants, given the valuable contribution being made to local communities through the provision of services.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.