John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The key issue is the shifting of pension risk from the employer to the employee. The Government seems to be deliberately dragging its heels in putting protections in place. The Bill passed Second Stage eight months ago and the committee has been screaming for it, but we are yet to see it. In my view and that of the people who are being impacted by this issue, there is a deliberate delaying of the necessary legislation by the Government.

Things will be very grim come 30 June for the 1,200 employees of Irish Life. The Government is standing idly by and doing nothing. It has completely ignored the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD, review of Ireland's pension system and recommendations on defined benefit schemes. I ask the Minister to comment on that. Does she believe protections should be in place for employees in defined pension schemes whose employers have taken from the Government's dragging of its heels that they have a green light to close down these schemes?

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