Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)

I move amendment No. 24:

In page 15, lines 32 and 33, to delete “such person, and determined in such manner, as may be specified in the scheme” and substitute the following: “the Minister who shall refer it to the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, whose decision shall be final”.

Amendment No. 24 replaces section 16(6), which provides for the resolution of any dispute that may arise in relation to any superannuation benefit payable pursuant to a pension scheme made under section 16. The existing provision contemplates a two-step process with two decision makers involved. Given the very small size of the body concerned, it may not be possible to find a suitable decision maker within the body who would not have a conflict of interest. For that reason, I propose to replace this with dispute resolution process whereby a dispute should be submitted to the Minister for Finance, who shall refer it to the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, whose decision shall be final. The replacement provision uses a formulation that is commonly used elsewhere in the Statute Book.

Amendment No. 25 deletes section 16(7), which serves no practical purpose in light of the previous amendment.