Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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105. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will provide an update on engagement from her Department with community employment supervisors regarding their employment-related concerns; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15042/23]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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Community Employment (CE) supervisors and assistant supervisors provide a very important role running CE schemes countrywide. These schemes deliver important locally based community services, while providing a valuable training and development opportunity to the long-term unemployed and to those furthest removed from the labour market.

CE supervisors and assistant supervisors are employed by the individual CE schemes, which are funded by the Department. Neither the Department, nor the State, is the employer of this group of workers.

In relation to the specific issue on pay, last year, the Department received correspondence from union representatives seeking a pay increase for CE supervisors and assistant supervisors. Following referral of the pay claim to the conciliation service of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and the Department, with Government approval, engaged with a WRC conciliation process, in its role as funder of these schemes.

This conciliation process is now underway, as the Deputy will appreciate, while this process is underway, I am not in a position to comment further, other than to say that I am hopeful that an agreed and fair resolution can be reached through this conciliation process.

Minister Heather Humphreys and I recognise the valuable contribution being made to local communities through the provision of services and in helping long term unemployed participants back to work.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.