Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Everyone is conversant with the difficulties that emerged in the Aer Lingus pension fund. The Government intervened in the matter with the objective, if one likes, of straightening out those difficulties. The sad reality, however, is that for one group of pensioners - those known as deferred pensioners - matters were not resolved. In the run-up to this meeting, every Member of the Oireachtas, including the Minister of State, received another communication on behalf of this group of pensioners, many of whom had their pensions cut by as much as 50%. There are political differences in this room as to whether the sale of the State's stake in Aer Lingus was a wise or prudent decision in the long-term. I do not believe it was wise, and my party and the Minister of State have set out their different stalls on the issue. To proceed with the sale while failing to address the issue of the deferred group within the pension scheme was an outrageous decision. To then come before the joint committee to have a conversation about a connectivity fund, as useful and necessary as such a fund may be, while failing to address this issue, is absolutely off the wall.

If I may, I will read an e-mail I received from one of the person affected, as it delivers a message to the joint committee and, by extension, the Oireachtas. It reads:

How dare you vote in favour of the sale of Aer Lingus as the cost of the Aer Lingus pensioners. How can u sit and debate what to do with the proceeds of sale of Aer Lingus when you have cut the pension of people with dementia, cancer and numerous other elderly associated illness. This is what you have done and just because so many of them are unable to protest because they do not even have the health, energy or strength you have swooped in and robbed them of their pension.

When I left the company I was assured and guaranteed a pension and through no fault of mine, my pension has been cut, the fund wound up and at my age I now have to go out looking for work to supplement my pension as it is no longer index linked.

The message continues in a similar tone. If he can - I do not believe he can - I ask the Minister of State to justify the Government's decision to leave this group of deferred pensioners out in the cold. Perhaps he has met some of the people who were affected by the decision. Many of these individuals had an expectation of a reasonable standard of living in their pension years and are now struggling simply to get by. As the Minister of State will be aware from his meetings with some of the individuals in question, many of them had long service. Aer Lingus, at various stages, encouraged and incentivised employees to leave the company and enter the category of deferred pensioners. The real sickener for those who did so was that they have also been locked out of the discussions and negotiations that to and froed around the fund. They were, if one likes, nobody's child or nobody's pensioner.

Notwithstanding all that has happened, there is something obscene about the committee discussing the spoils of the sale, regardless of what our views were on the sale, because in the meantime, back at the ranch, deferred pensioners have been shafted. That is not a word I care for, but it is the only one that adequately describes what has been done to this group. It appears the Government is happy to motor on and talk up a connectivity fund, how it might work, and its limitations and commercial potential. Meanwhile, however, people with long service to a semi-state company have been left in the lurch. Their view - and it is hard to gainsay their position and experience - is that the first thing that needs to be done is to reinstate their pension entitlement. As the Minister of State is aware, these individuals were prepared to have their pension trimmed. However, 50% of the pension they expected to receive has gone down the Swanee. That is some kick in the teeth for the people concerned.