Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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137. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of the review of community employment scheme supervisor remuneration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8013/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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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 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.

In December 2024, an offer of a pay increase of 3% for CE supervisors was accepted by the staff unions. The increase is backdated to 1 March 2024 and arrangements are being made to provide the necessary funding for the increase to the sponsor groups to enable them to pay the increased salaries by the end of this month.

Officials from my Department, as the programme funder, continued to engage in ongoing discussions with the employer and unions representatives on a range of Community Employment issues including remuneration.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.