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

This matter has been ongoing since 2008, the reason for which is the principle I have just outlined to the Deputy. The Deputy and I are talking here about principles but both us recognise that there are individuals who worked in this sector who are affected by this matter and are hoping to benefit. I acknowledge this matter has caused a great deal of anxiety and worry but the challenge I face, which is the same challenge faced by the previous Government and the one before it, is the principle of contributing to a pension scheme or fund for people who did not work for the State. As in the case of Deputy Curran, there are many good projects located in my own constituency. Sometimes the great benefit of these projects is that they do not report to the State and that the people employed in them are not employed by the State such that they can bring to bear a voluntary ethos or the ethos of their own community. It is because people employed in the project concerned were not employed by the State that I cannot give the Deputy a response that would be more to his satisfaction or theirs.

See this speech in context