Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On the final point the Deputy made, we have a financial services regulator who can deal with the claims she has just made. She outlined several individual schemes where there are problems. I will revert to her on those individual schemes.

On the broader point, in the Government's approach to the Lansdowne Road agreement and the unwinding of the financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI, legislation, the pensions situation will also be addressed. The Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Varadkar, and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, are both examining these issues. The Minister for Social Protection has made it clear that we know there are problems and we are concerned about the deficits which have emerged. Careful planning will be needed to deal with this issue as we go forward.

Given the improvements in the economy, which are continuing as we see from the latest employment figures, we are obviously in a better position to deal with some of the issues highlighted by the Deputy than if we were still facing a situation where we had the kind of problems we had some years ago. The pensions issue is a central one and of significant concern to individuals and organisations. We are conscious of that. In the unwinding of FEMPI, that will be part of the negotiations. We are approaching the whole issue of public sector pay by a process of negotiation and discussions. That is how we will have to address the pensions issue also.

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