Some of us have raised the issue of community employment, CE, supervisors and particularly the Labour Court decision in 2008. Deputy Calleary has been leading on the issue for some time. Industrial action is due to be taken by some supervisors from next Monday but a letter has been issued by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection which states that the Department will "review the funding allocated to your organisation having regard to the industrial action taken". That language is completely off the rails in 2019. What is the Government's intention regarding CE supervisors' pensions? Do not repeat the line that was given yesterday that they are not State employees. There was a Labour Court decision on the matter and full funding for their payments comes through the Department. What decision has been taken on it? Does the Minister stand over the language in the letter from the Department to the chairpersons of community employment groups, who are volunteers?

CE supervisors play an important role in the administration and supervision of the schemes. Strike notice has been issued for next Monday by the Fórsa and SIPTU trade unions. The schemes are vital for both urban and rural communities throughout the country. There was a Labour Court recommendation and the former Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, had prepared a way to deal with this, as Deputy Calleary and others are aware. We know it will not be pensions for everybody, but there was a way. A head was put in place with the then Minister with responsibility for the environment but it fell down somewhere between the tracks. The Minister should revive that and speak to the unions involved. She will find them willing partners. This can be resolved, but the Minister cannot sit on her hands and send out bureaucratic replies. They will not work.

There are two separate matters here. First, in response to Deputy Michael Moynihan, nobody would stand over the letter that was issued - I will not say it was in error but it was without consideration or thought - last week-----

It was from the Department.

-----from my Department. The day the letter was brought to my attention, which unfortunately was not before it was issued, I refuted the allegation in it. I made a statement that there will be no review on foot of any pending actions next Monday-----

Will the Minister write to all the chairpersons again?

I did that yesterday. To ensure that I would give due credit and regard to the people who carry out our CE work, which is a very valuable service throughout every county, I wrote to them yesterday giving them assurances that there will be absolutely no review of their funding, capitation, training or otherwise on foot of any action their employees take.

The difficulty, however, is that the supervisors are the host companies' employees, not State employees. We recognise the Labour Court ruling that was issued a number of years ago between the employees and the employers, to which the State was not a party, and we are endeavouring with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to work with the unions. Many meetings have taken place over the last six months to try to find a solution, but none has yet been found. However, we will not give up until we find one.