Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The forum will meet under the chairmanship of an official from my Department. I expect the meeting to take place in the first quarter of this year, so it is imminent.

3 o’clock

The Deputy outlined the distinction of the case I have made but I would like to reiterate it. The State was not the employer of those raising this case. Their employer was the project in receipt of the funding. We are now being asked to provide pensions for people in respect of whom the State was not the employer and never purported to be the employer. There would be consequences in that regard for the State from an Exchequer and policy of point of view. While the forum will meet, it is not an industrial relations forum, which I think is understood by all participants. The position in terms of the provision of pensions for people who were not employed by the State is not one that we will be able to substantially change but we are always willing to talk to those in the sector about their concerns on the matter, as we are in relation to any other matter.

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