Seanad debates

Tuesday, 2 December 2008

3:00 pm

Photo of Eugene ReganEugene Regan (Fine Gael)

I refer to the schedule for the week and the motion re the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, back from committee, to be taken without debate. We had a discussion on this last Tuesday in respect of a framework decision on terrorism. I pointed out the unsatisfactory nature of introducing a matter concerning EU legislation without debate in this House, referring to a committee and it coming back without debate. This House has no opportunity to discuss, debate or raise any issue about these items of legislation. The framework decision on terrorism, introduced last week, will require change in our legislation. When that legislation is introduced, we will be told that we cannot have a debate on it because we passed the framework decision, the EU directive. It means that in respect of scrutiny of EU legislation, which has been highlighted as an issue in every debate on every treaty and referendum campaign, these Houses are failing to scrutinise EU decision making and to take ownership of the decisions made by our Ministers in Brussels. I am surprised the Leader has included this item without debate. I ask him to desist from introducing these issues without debate and to allow us to deal with EU legislation in this important area of criminal law and combatting crime measures.

Senators Fitzgerald and McFadden raised the matter of pensions. Reference was made to the statement of the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Hanafin, to the effect that if push comes to shove, people can rely on the State pension. This is a most insensitive, cavalier and arrogant statement. The reality is that many people have invested in private pensions or they have had to rely on their employment's investment in private pensions. They have a reasonable expectation of having a pension they can live on. As someone with a number of pensions, as teacher, Deputy and Minister, Deputy Hanafin simply made the statement when people are feeling the pain of the problems that have arisen in the equity markets which have affected the value of pensions. A debate on this issue is important. If that is all the Minister has to offer in terms of providing conditions under which some of the difficulties can be ameliorated, it is very sad.

I refer to one particular insurance company, Equitable Life, in the United Kingdom, which was in the news last week. This would not cost the Government anything. There are 6,500 Irish policyholders with Equitable Life. It has been the subject of a European Parliament report and a parliamentary ombudsman report in the United Kingdom, where there was a call for a fund to compensate Equitable Life policyholders. Given that there are so many Irish Equitable Life policyholders, I ask the Leader if the Minister for Finance or the Minister for Social and Family Affairs could clarify if any representations have been made to the UK Government or the Chancellor of the Exchequer in respect of this compensation fund and whether Irish policyholders would be included in such a package.

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