Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)

Broadly speaking that is the case and it is not a desirable position. The Minister has repeatedly said he cannot touch the existing schemes. In the House he indicated this was because he would consider it to be unfair. He also hinted there may be legal issues concerning notions of legitimate expectation and so on. I would like to hear something more concrete from the Minister. If it is the case that he has received legal advice to the effect that he cannot disentangle or change the existing pension regime for serving public and civil servants, he must attend both House and committees and give us that advice in chapter in verse. It is much preferable that a single, fair, equitable scheme should apply to all working in the civil and public service and that such distinctions not be made.

I am with the Minister regarding the elaborate calculations in respect of pensions. That will be a testing job and we will be obliged to address the issue on Committee Stage. I welcome the indication from the Minister that he will engage with those of us on the Opposition benches in respect of it.

The Minister has addressed the issue I raised with him last week with regard to the teachers' unions. I am inclined to agree with him that it is a mistake to describe the pension levy as a pension contribution. It is not and never was a pension contribution; it is a levy or tax. We must rename the pension levy.

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