Community employment supervisors pensions
Deputy Howlin pressed for progress on pensions for community employment supervisors, citing years of delay and strike action. Minister Doherty said engagement with the unions was ongoing, but warned the suggested solutions carried a major Exchequer cost.
Last week, I raised with the Tánaiste the failure to extend the retirement age of community employment supervisors. On Monday, community employment supervisors were on strike due to the failure of the Government to engage in discussions on a pension scheme for those who supervise community employment schemes. This relates back to a Labour Court recommendation of 2008. The Tánaiste may be aware that a process was established in 2015, following discussions with SIPTU and Fórsa, to address this difficult issue. As Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform at the time, I put a subhead in the environment Vote to provide for ex gratia payments through Pobal but this process stopped when the Labour Party left Government. Will the Government reopen and restart that process now to address a legitimate grievance? I see that the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection may well be about to answer the question. Will she commit to ensuring funding is not cut to supervisors who were on strike last week?
Comment on this
I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. I have to disagree with him slightly in that there has been no failure to engage. There have been numerous occasions in the last year when we have engaged through the Department of Finance with the two unions to which the Deputy referred to try to resolve this outstanding issue that goes back to 2008.
Comment on this
The template was there and the money was put in place.
Comment on this
We have had a number of meetings and both unions have come forward with their own ideas in an attempt to resolve an issue everyone wants to resolve. There is no cessation of that and I hope to God that we continue to work together to find a resolution to the issue. I cannot comment on why the Deputy's subhead was altered in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform except to say that any suggested solution put on the table thus far has had the unintended consequence that it would impose a liability of €600 million on the State's purse.
Comment on this
That was always the argument and it was never valid.
Comment on this
I appreciate that the Deputy might disagree with that. I take the opportunity to record in the House our gratitude to the community employment host companies and all of our supervisors and assistant supervisors for their efforts to continue to express 19.5 hours per week for all participants on community employment schemes.