Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The Minister's response is extremely disappointing. It represents a very significant departure from standard practice where the Government accepts and adheres to a recommendation of the Labour Court. The Minister is welshing on an earlier agreement. That is the only way to describe it. The principles involved in this were accepted and established in 2008. Bringing in the question of these people not being direct State employees is really a distraction. The ruling was in respect of FÁS needing to provide the funding necessary for the pensions, the successor organisation to FÁS is SOLAS and it should be doing it. The high level forum is not working. It is seen as merely a talking shop and a way of putting this issue on the long finger. We need solutions, not excuses, and a commitment from the Government to honour the agreement that was reached ten years ago.

See this speech in context