David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the witnesses for attending. I have listened very carefully to what they had to say. I have picked up the level of experience and knowledge before the committee today and I respect it hugely. I am a little intimidated that the witnesses know so much about this issue. That is obvious and I thank them for it.

I note the witnesses mentioned public consultation and that a public consultation call for requests issued last year on retired workers access to industrial relations mechanisms for pension-related issues. Submissions were requested by 22 April last year. They were to be reviewed in May and there was supposed to be further consultation and discussion. There is work going on with this in the Department at the moment. We know this because it has sought consultation and papers. In my experience of how this place works, given the summer recess and the budget just after Christmas, that is not a huge amount of time. It is important that we give this public consultation a kick-start, invite the Minister or some of his officials in to see where it is at and what they have done with the submissions the organisations before us made to that consultation and see what reaction we can get. It is our job now to give that a push to see where it is going and what will be the next steps of the Department and Minister.

I am heartened that public consultation occurred and I am sure very detailed submissions were made by everybody who is interested and involved. Now is the time to move on. There has been enough time to digest and analyse those submissions and come up with a reaction. Our next steps should be to invite the Minister and officials to the committee to see what reaction we will get. I am not sure if the witnesses had any reaction to the submissions. I take it from what Ms Shaw said that her association has not had anything back. I suggest the Department is probably still reviewing the submissions. We now need the reaction.