Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I move amendment No. 8:

In page 5, line 31, to delete “Every right” and substitute “Subject to subsection (5) of section 12, every right”.

Section 12 provides for Forfás, Enterprise Ireland or local authorities to accept into their employment staff who were previously employed by the county enterprise board on terms and conditions no less favourable in regard to remuneration. Current employees of the county enterprise boards will, upon dissolution, become members of Forfás’s superannuation scheme, the Enterprise Ireland superannuation scheme or a local authority scheme, as appropriate. This is provided for in section 12(5)(a). It provides for their entitlement to superannuation benefits to be calculated and paid by the body that accepted them into its employment. This is already in the Bill, as laid down. As it stands today, Enterprise Ireland does not have a superannuation scheme but will establish one once the Forfás legislation has been enacted. The Bill allows Enterprise Ireland to become an employer in its own right.
The amendment at section 12(5)(a) is to deal with the existing and deferred pensioners from the county enterprise boards. The amendment to section 8 is input to ensure that the liability for those pensioners does not transfer to Enterprise Ireland. The amendment at section 12(5)(b) allows for the responsibility and liability for those pensioners to transfer to the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and for those pensions to be calculated and paid by the Minister. The amendment at section 12(5)(c) is to ensure that the functions in regard to any existing pension schemes that were invested in a county enterprise board will now be vested in the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.
I may have another amendment on Report Stage referring to the administration of the pensions for existing pensioners and it involves the existing pensioners for Forfás and Shannon Development also. My officials are currently working with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to finalise this. It may be the case that no amendment is needed in this Bill and that the matter will be handled in the Industrial Development (Forfás Dissolution) Bill 2013. This was just to ensure that existing pensioners were catered for in the legislation.