Batt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)

It is important to note that this issue arose during the debate in the Dáil. If my memory serves me correctly, it was raised by Deputy Burton. When she asked the Minister for Finance if these provisions apply to any former Minister, he specifically said that they do. When Deputy Bruton was asked about this issue yesterday, he acknowledged that it had been discussed in the Dáil. Therefore, I can state categorically that nobody was trying to hide this issue. It was a matter of public knowledge. When Deputy Bruton was interviewed yesterday, he acknowledged that the issue had been debated in the Dáil. There is nothing underhand about it at all.

If a serving Minister makes a late application for a pension, he should be entitled to receive it, just like all other public servants, including the senior civil servants to whom Ministers are aligned in all aspects of these matters. It was agreed by both Houses that the pay and pension rights of Ministers, including pay increases, should be aligned with those of senior civil servants. This measure extends those rights to provide for late applications. Nothing underhand is going on. This is very much above board. Other than those who are taking issue with this proposal because they want to make political fare from it, everybody acknowledges that the former Minister in this case is entitled to equity and should be given his full pension entitlements, even though he made a late application.