Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I would be supportive of these amendments. In talking about this section of the Bill, there is no doubt that a very large number of people - ex-employees of the Dublin Airport Authority and Aer Lingus - have been left high and dry by last year's Social Welfare Act and the 2009 Act. This is a very clear issue of justice for the people concerned. These are people who in good faith made contributions to a pension scheme over many years on the basis of a contract of employment they had. At a time when those companies were in difficulty, they accepted the terms of a package to leave the company and were given guarantees in writing in respect of their deferred pensions by both companies. The 2009 Act allowed the companies to walk away from that commitment. The Government gave the go-ahead for the companies to walk away.