Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Current legislation allows trustees of occupational pension schemes to lower the pension benefit payable to a person by taking into account State pension entitlements to which that person is entitled. Do the changes today permit the trustees of an occupational pension scheme to reduce the benefit payable to any person who reaches the age of 65 on or after 1 January 2014? Will this have a negative impact on these occupational pensions? I am not clear about this. This was the point I was trying to raise at the very beginning of the debate today. Regrettably, the pension age will increase over the next number of years. It was reduced from 70 between 1973 and 1977 but we are obviously in reverse gear. It is very important that there is no double disadvantage through a lowering of the occupational pension because there is a presumption of a State pension in the years between 65 and the year in which the person is entitled to the State pension. I would like to hear what the Minister's understanding of it is. I am not sure I understand it correctly.

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