Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group)

I support the contribution of Deputy Finian McGrath on this issue. He made a very strong case in regard to this Bill, which is about grand theft. It is a discriminatory taxation scheme rather than a pension scheme. It is one of many attacks on public servants who, as we all know, have been demonised in the media in recent years, and this continues almost daily. These public servants are the local county council road worker, the fireman, the ambulance driver, the hospital porter, the cleaner, the clerical officer, the nurse, the teacher or the garda. This Bill is part of the campaign against the public service. The previous Government initiated the Bill. Its Deputies were very glad to admit earlier today that it was drawn up initially by the Fianna Fáil-Green Party Government. It has now been adopted by the Fine Gael-Labour Party coalition.

The public service has been assessed by an OECD report. It is clear that the Irish public service is smaller, less costly and more effective than most public services and servants throughout the OECD countries. Very many public servants earn less than the average industrial wage and many apply for and are currently in receipt of the family income supplement, FIS. The public service has already had a number of wage cuts, in addition to the pension levy. Standards of living and income of public servants have been reduced considerably, in particular during the past two years. The House heard today of the very considerable and outrageous pensions and lump sums of very senior civil servants. Those situations are being used to attack normal public servants, very many of whom are earning less than the average industrial wage and may be in receipt of FIS.

I reiterate, these proposals are grand theft. This is the case because the scheme is compulsory and because very many, if not all, new entrants will get less from the scheme than they pay in. Actuaries have looked at the scheme and are satisfied that more will be paid in on a compulsory basis by public servants than they will get out of the scheme. That situation leaves this scheme and this Bill open to legal challenge.

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