Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There has been a complete betrayal on this issue. When the levy was first introduced in 2011, a firm commitment was given that it would end in 2014. That commitment has been repeated a number of times since then. The levy has now been increased in 2014 and retained, albeit at a lower level, in 2015. My concern is that the Government is now attaching the levy to the issue of dealing with pension funds that are in difficulty. We all know how serious an issue that is. There are numerous schemes that are now under water, and Deputy Doherty also referred to the issue of double insolvency. Can the Minister of State give a commitment to pensioners and those who are paying into pension schemes at present that the levy will end in 2015? The Government has already broken its word on this issue. People want to know now if the Government is serious about ending the levy in 2015 and I ask the Minister of State to give a commitment to the House to that effect.

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