CE supervisors shafted while Fás bigwigs got golden handshakes

Community Employment Scheme supervisors are no closer to their pension, which was recommended by the Labour Court in July, 2008, given the latest reply by Minister for Arts, Heather Humphreys, to a parliamentary question in the Dail last week.

The response was :“it is not possible for the State to take over responsibility for funding pension arrangements for employees of private companies, even where those companies are reliant on State funding”. Community Employment Schemes were set up in 1993 by the government to bring together voluntary groups and combat high unemployment.

Five years later, these groups were mandated by the State to become incorporated as limited companies, otherwise they would no longer receive funding. The management of these schemes offer their time voluntarily for the good of their communities. The minister’s statement is in contradiction of what the Labour Court recommended in 2008.