Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 6 February 2013

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection

Report on Pension Charges: Discussion with Department of Social Protection

1:30 pm

Mr. Joe Morley:

If the intermediary is not in business, there is nothing to stop a consumer from going to a new adviser who can help him or her out. That is still an opportunity. We have placed a requirement on firms to provide information on the statement. If firms are charging for items that are not on the original contract, we will have to investigate it. In such a case, in the first instance the person should make a complaint to the firm or to go to the Ombudsman. If we were aware that firms were charging for items for which they were not supposed to charge, I believe we would be obliged to take action.