Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputies for bringing forward this important legislation. It gives us a good opportunity to have a discussion about both pensions in general and a specific group of former workers. As has been pointed out, they might be former workers but they most definitely are not former voters.

I have some experience of dealing with occupational pension schemes from my previous employment. It always struck me that it is very tough to get people interested in a pension scheme, in being trustees or being active in it, when they are 25 years old because they think retirement might never happen. It is something that happens to other people and just does not really interest or excite people. Unfortunately for many pension schemes, the only time people get seriously interested is when they are actually looking at retirement and, therefore, there can sometimes be a disproportionate focus on a group of workers who are nearer to retirement, which can have a detrimental impact on retirees, deferred pensioners and, indeed, younger workers. I will use some of my time to encourage any people who have an occupational pension scheme in their workplace to take the time to get involved in it and not wait until they are close to benefiting from it.

I come from a trade union and activist background and one of our mantras or mottoes was always, "Nothing about us without us". Yet there are groups of pensioners and former workers who have decisions taken for them, not just about their pension schemes but about the money they have. These are people on a fixed income who are excluded from decisions taken. As we can see from the level of support from the various associations, they want to be included and actively involved as part of this process but they are effectively excluded. These workers do not have a choice so everything about them is without them because they have no say, are absolutely voiceless and yet are impacted by decisions that are taken.

I take it from the Minister of State's speech that there is, at the very least, recognition on the part of the Government that this situation needs to be addressed. I do not understand why there is a need to kick this issue down the road. The legislation can be taken as it is now. Sinn Féin support it, which is not to say we would not propose amendments to strengthen it or that we would not want to work with the sponsors to ensure any issues that might arise can be addressed. However, the Government is saying there is an issue but it needs a year to think about it. Surely that time would be more productively spent engaging with this legislation, amending it as necessary, having that debate and having the opportunity on Committee Stage to invite retired members in to give them a voice. They do not have a voice. That is why we are having this debate, to give them that voice and opportunity to be involved in what is, essentially, their income and the money they rely on to buy their groceries, pay their rent, in some cases, and their mortgages, as well as to keep body and soul together etc.

The Government knows this is a pattern but I do not understand why, when the Opposition suggests something, the Government says, "That would be the right thing to do but let us not just do that right now, let us just wait". Everything is either not opposed but not supported or kicked down the road for a year. I appreciate that. I read in the newspaper, just as did everybody else, of the discussions that took place at a parliamentary party meeting for one of the Government parties, where it was said they did not want to be known as the nasty party. This is not going to help that, however, because these retired workers are not stupid. They read the newspapers and will watch this debate. They see what happens. The Government says that it needs to do something but will just not do it now.

I encourage the Government to withdraw its amendment. I also encourage any retired workers who are members of an occupational pension scheme to engage with Deputies in their area who are opposing this because if it is being kicked down the road, that is effectively what is being done. They should engage with those Deputies who are saying "not now", encourage them to support it and make their voices heard. This legislation essentially addresses the fact that their voices are absent from a very important aspect of their lives. Once again, I thank the Deputies for bringing forward this legislation. Sinn Féin will be supporting it and I encourage the Government to withdraw its amendment.

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