Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

Workers are being affected by the winding down of pensions and pensions rights in insolvent companies. It is to try to assist workers in that circumstance, which could be happening as we speak, that this legislation has been brought forward. It has not been cobbled together over a weekend - in fact, it has been worked on for some time. We hoped to have it at the time of the publication of the Social Welfare Bill but because of its complexity and involvement, that was not possible. This legislation needs to be enacted on the basis that it will be of assistance to workers in those circumstances-----

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