Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank An Teachta Bríd Smith for bringing forward this legislation. I, too, have been contacted by a large number of people who have been affected by the issue this legislation seeks to address. Tens of thousands of retired workers must be given a voice in pension disputes when changes are to be made to pension schemes. The current law prevents the voices of retirees from being heard when there are pension scheme negotiations, and they are limited in their ability to take their concerns to the WRC. Representative groups have tried unsuccessfully to address past grievances with the equality tribunal, the Ombudsman, industrial relations procedures and trustees of funds.

The Bill will guarantee one position on the boards of pension trustees to a representative of retired workers. When people are working, they have a voice through their trade unions. When they retire, however, they lose that voice, and that is not right. The Bill will give retired workers' associations the right to be consulted when talks between unions and employers may or could affect their pension.

Retired workers are not retired voters. The Government parties would do well to remember that. They should remember the fate of the Labour Party, which enabled Fine Gael to scrap the telephone allowance, worth €9.50 a month to older people, and the lower income threshold for medical cards for the over-70s. Most cruelly of all, they abolished the bereavement grant, which was worth €850. Talk about kicking people when they are down. The Government ignores older people at its peril.

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