Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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906.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when pay increases have been awarded to community employment supervisors and other community workers indirectly funded by her Department in 2024; the projected pay increases for 2025; and the provision in her Revised Estimates for such pay rises under the public service pay agreement (details supplied).[33862/24]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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Community Employment (CE) 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.

The Deputy will be aware that CE scheme supervisors and assistant supervisors are employees of private companies in the community and voluntary sector that receive public funding. The employees in question are not public servants and are not comprehended by public service agreements. The terms and conditions of employment for these employees, including remuneration, are primarily a matter for individual employers and employees as part of the employment relationship.

In 2023, Pay increases were awarded to CE supervisors, an increase of 3% from 1 April 2023 and 2% from 1 November 2023, the funding for which was provided by my Department as the programme funder.

Currently, officials from my Department and employer and unions representatives continue to engage in ongoing discussions on terms and conditions including pay. It should be noted that any increase in CE supervisor pay rates that would increase the overall cost to the State of funding employment schemes, must take into consideration the potential cost to the exchequer and ultimately the taxpayer.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.