Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Comptroller and Auditor General told the Committee of Public Accounts that this was a statutory rather than a private pension scheme, so there is an obligation there under the law. More than 10,000 CIÉ workers have been left in limbo for the past eight years. They do not know what is happening with their pensions, all because the Government allowed CIÉ to ignore a statutory instrument. Not only has the company underfunded the pension scheme, it has also jeopardised the solvency of the two pension schemes. There are serious questions to be asked. There are questions to be asked of the Government, the Minister's Department and the previous Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport as to why they have ignored this matter for the past eight years or more. When it comes down to it, CIÉ has been allowed to do this. Quite simply, it has broken the law. What is the Minister going to do about it, how is he going to resolve it and how is he going to hold CIÉ to account for not adhering to a statutory instrument?

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