Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)

I have not taken a hands-on approach because I do not want to create the impression that the State, Exchequer or taxpayer is in any way liable in this case. The taxpayer and the Exchequer are not liable for deficits in semi-State companies' pension funds, be that company the ESB, CIE or Bord Gáis. In this case the company is not even a semi-State. In this three-employer fund, one employer is entirely private and another is 75% private.

Responsibility for devising a proposal to address the deficit in the pension fund lies with the trustees. Many of those involved, from pensioners to members of the scheme who have not yet retired from the Dublin Airport Authority, DAA, Aer Lingus and SR Technics, are my constituents. I want them to get their pensions and the situation to be resolved, but responsibility for devising a viable scheme lies with the trustees, not the Government.

There has been engagement between the trustees and the Department of Social Protection in respect of some important changes to pension legislation. I hope that Department will waste no time in making whatever changes are necessary to allow the situation to be resolved.

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