Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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634. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to correspondence received (details supplied), whether her Department exerts control over the salaries and the job descriptions of community employment supervisors, or the terms of the contract; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44067/24]

Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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635. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection further to correspondence received (details supplied), if it can be confirmed that on 26 June 2024, her Department was asked to provide an outline offer by 19 July, but that did not happen, and the matter has now been escalated to the Workplace Relations Commission; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44068/24]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 634 and 635 together.

Community Employment (CE) schemes play a vital role in the training and development of those who are long-term unemployed and who are furthest removed from the labour market.

CE scheme supervisors and assistant supervisors are employees of private companies in the community and voluntary sector that receive public funding. 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.

An increase of 3% from 1st April 2023 and 2% from 1st November 2023 was awarded as part of the 2023 pay increase to CE Supervisors which was funded by my Department as the programme funder.

Officials from my Department, as the programme funder, employers and union representatives continue to engage in discussions in respect of a range of issues including supervisor remuneration. In the context of funding for supervisors and assistant supervisors pay, I have written to my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform seeking his approval to ensure that a review can be successfully concluded as soon as possible.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.