Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 13:

In page 22, after line 38, to insert the following:“Administration of superannuation scheme or arrangement by relevant body on behalf of Minister

26. (1) The Minister may, for the purposes of this section, designate in writing a superannuation scheme or arrangement (in this section referred to as a “designated scheme or arrangement”) referred to in—

(a) section 25, or

(b) subsection (5)(c) of section 12 of the County Enterprise Boards (Dissolution) Act 2014.

(2) The Minister may require a relevant body to carry out, on his or her behalf, such pension administration services as the Minister may specify in writing in relation to a designated scheme or arrangement.

(3) A relevant body shall, when required by the Minister to do so, carry out such pension administration services as the Minister specifies in writing under subsection (2) in relation to a designated scheme or arrangement.

(4) The Minister may give directions in writing to a relevant body in relation to any pension administration service specified by him or her under subsection (2).

(5) A relevant body shall comply with any directions given by the Minister under subsection (4).

(6) Where the Minister requires a relevant body to carry out the pension administration service specified in paragraph (b) of subsection (8) in relation to a designated scheme or arrangement, the Minister shall, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, out of monies provided by the Oireachtas, provide the relevant body with a sum of money equal to the total amount of the benefits due under that paragraph to enable that body to make such payment.

(7) A relevant body shall provide such information to the Minister, relating to pension administration services which the body carries out under subsection (3), as the Minister may from time to time require.

(8) In this section—

“pension administration service” means, in relation to a designated scheme or arrangement—

(a) calculation of any superannuation benefit payable to, or in respect of, any member of that scheme or arrangement,

(b) payment on behalf of the Minister of any superannuation benefit due to, or in respect of, any member of that scheme or arrangement to the member or other person concerned,

(c) maintenance of records relating to, or in respect of, members of that scheme or arrangement, or

(d) such other service as may be specified in writing by the Minister for the purposes of administering that scheme or arrangement on his or her behalf;

“relevant body” means—

(a) Enterprise Ireland,

(b) IDA,

(c) Science Foundation Ireland, or

(d) the National Standards Authority of Ireland.”.

This amendment provides for the inclusion of a new section. It is providing that administration services in respect of superannuation will go from Forfás not to my Department but to a body of my choosing, which will be Enterprise Ireland. It also provides for the administration of pensions in respect of local enterprise offices, LEOs. I will provide the full explanation. At present, Forfás carries out the administration function for the superannuation schemes for which it has responsibility. The existing section 25 of the Bill provides for the Minister to become responsible for the existing superannuation schemes of the dissolved body. The Minister also is responsible for the pension schemes arising under section 12(5)(c) of the County Enterprise Boards (Dissolution) Act 2014. It is proposed that when the Minister assumes responsibility for these schemes, the administration function will be devolved to a relevant body - that is, an agency of the Department as defined in this proposed new section 26. This section provides for the Minister to require a relevant body to carry out such administration services on his or her behalf and sets out the arrangements to apply in this regard. As I indicated, it will be Enterprise Ireland.

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