Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The recognition of members who previously paid into a defined benefit scheme is a slightly separate issue in some ways.

In the past they were recognised as being on an equal footing with active members and pensioners. In its report the OECD states the anomaly whereby those to whom I refer are not recognised as a distinct group should be removed. The report states "the priority currently given to pensioners before other members if a scheme closes because of sponsor bankruptcy should be eliminated".

We have been lobbied by quite a number of people who have been affected in this way. A group of people who are in receipt of a pension have been defined, while active members will usually have a union to bat on their behalf. If one has been in employment with a company and, for whatever reason, left it and gone elsewhere, one might not be in the same union, one might not be in a union or one might not even be in the country. I am referring to people who do not have advocates to speak on their behalf. We are discussing pension legislation and those to whom I refer are individuals who have paid into schemes. In some instances, there may be quite a number of such persons. In the future defined benefit and other types of scheme will have increasing numbers of deferred members. The reason for this is that people are changing jobs and moving around much more. If one does so within a certain period, one can cash out of the scheme of which one is a member. That is what I did when I left Foras na Gaeilge.

The Irish Senior Citizens Parliament outlined its position in its submission. Like everyone else involved, it has been obliged to respond to rushed legislation. However, it has managed to identify a number of points. Last night alone I received e-mails from ten deferred members appealing to us to restore recognition which was extended up to 2009 in order to ensure their views would be taken on board. In the context of the part of the Bill with which we are dealing, the standing of deferred members is not as high as it should be. They are not viewed as being on the same level as active members. I wish to read an e-mail from a woman, Mary, who was a member of the Aer Lingus defined pension scheme. She states:

I am a divorcee and a deferred member of the Aer Lingus defined pension scheme and have been depending on what I was promised I was due. As a deferred member, I have no one to speak for me - no union, no representative, no one. I paid into the scheme believing I would have something to live on when I retired. I would still be an active member except I was made redundant so it is not my fault I am in this position. I am asking you to please consider the person when you are debating the pension issue. We are not all on big salaries with huge lump sums due. My huge expectation was an annual amount of approximately €10,000.