David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I commend Teachta Willie O’Dea for bringing this Bill to the floor of the Dáil and giving us an opportunity to address the important issues it covers. I am glad my party is supporting the Bill, despite the fact we see some flaws in it. In the same spirit, Sinn Féin has brought forward Bills, the thrust of which Fianna Fáil states it supports. However, as it sees the Bills need to be amended, it either votes them down or kicks them to touch rather than supporting them.

Perhaps they will take a lesson from us. We will support Bills by all parties if we believe the broad thrust of the Bill is well intentioned. Committee Stage is when we air our difficulties and highlight flaws in any legislation. In the spirit of generosity, I support the Bill that has been proposed and I commend the authors on it. Time and again, when it comes to workers' rights and their entitlements, this House has been found wanting.

Like the bus that sometimes never comes, we did not see any Bills in respect of this issue for a long number of years and now three show up at the same time and we have not even seen the Minister's Bill on which he says he is working. That is good because it shows there is an energy in the House and a commitment to at least addressing the issue. A range of different views have been expressed about how it should be addressed but obviously it is something that we need to commit to and resolve very quickly. The recent action by Independent News & Media to close its defined benefit scheme, cutting staff payments by over 70% even though the parent company is in profit, shows the type of ruthless behaviour we are dealing with here. The company will be paying out its dividends to shareholders. Two of the most famous of them, who are tax exiles - one of whom has brought a case against this House - will receive their payment but they can take money from pensioners, which is unacceptable.

I also raise the issue of Waterford Crystal pensions. I am glad Teachta Mary Butler raised it. She has done some good work on this issue. She said we have to make sure that we do not add insult to injury, so I have to, in all conscience, remind the Deputy that it was Fianna Fáil that made sure those workers were dragged kicking and screaming through the courts. It was the former Fianna Fáil Government that did not face up to its responsibilities and led to Waterford Crystal workers having to take a court case to the European Court of Justice. The State and the Fianna Fáil Party fought them every single step of the way. I am glad the previous Government dealt with it and I am glad the European Court of Justice ruling found in their favour. I am also glad the vast majority of those workers were protected and have received their payments.

As Teachta Mary Butler did, I will raise the issue with the Minister of those people on contracts of service who had a number of unpensioned years. As the Minister knows, a number of meetings took place, one of which I attended with the Minister and union representatives. There was a willingness on the Minister's part to examine the issue but those workers have heard absolutely nothing yet. The Minister of State, Deputy John Halligan, was on local radio in December and said the issue was sorted and the workers would get their entitlements within a matter of weeks. Weeks have passed and they have heard nothing. I am asking the Minister if he can clarify this once and for all. Is he looking at this and will he resolve it? Will he make sure those workers get the entitlements they feel they deserve? The Minister is concerned about issues of precedence and I know he is looking at legal issues, but workers deserve to know whether this will happen. They have been kept in the dark and dragged along for months and years on this issue and they simply want a "Yes" or "No" answer. Will the Minister deal with this issue? I appeal to the Minister to give us the clarity in the House in order that we can give to them. We are being contacted almost on a daily basis by workers who are worried and asking if this can be done.

We support the Bill put forward by Fianna Fáil. I read the Minister's speech. Any time a Bill is brought forward by the Opposition, it seems to be this Government's modus operandito say it agrees something has to be done but it does not agree with the substance of the Bill brought forward and that it has its own Bill. The Minister said:

I will in the near future bring forward my own proposals, carefully thought out and fully analysed to help alleviate some of the difficulties currently being experienced by defined benefit schemes and their tens of thousands of members.

Why not just take this Bill and analyse it? The Minister could take parts of the other Bills that have been moved on First Stage, like the one by Teachta Brady. Why not do that? Why delay this even more? Is the Bill so flawed it cannot be amended? Is that what the Minister is saying?

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