Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)

I thank the Minister for his reply which highlights the complexity of the issue. It involves at least one other Department, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and as it is a financial product, probably the Department of Finance.

I agree with the Minister that the matter should be brought under the remit of one Department. However, that does not change the current situation where different Departments have had particular responsibilities for the problem as it has arisen. The situation is obvious with regard to Tara Mines, and at least 3,000 people could be affected by the misapplication of these schemes. Given that these are products that have been linked with occupational pension schemes and that it is a long-standing problem, the Minister and his Department have a direct responsibility. Will he explain how they intend to deal with the problems?

It has been indicated that the misapplication of the benefit to the employers as agents could be as high as between €300 million and €500 million, which should have gone directly to workers affected by work related accidents. Given the figure is of that scale, that thousands of people have, potentially, been defrauded, and given the linkage to occupational pension schemes, there is a pressing case for the Department to indicate how it will alleviate the problem in the short term.

I welcome the Minister's reply on better disclosure arrangements for occupational pension schemes. It would benefit all of us in the House if the Pensions Board supplied the guidelines to us as soon as possible.

Given that this was a bought-in or add-on scheme in terms of private enterprise providing work and pension support for people in specific industries, does the Minister accept that it undermines the scope of his policy direction in which he has been trying to encourage a greater take up of private pension schemes wherever and however possible?

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