Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The amendments to section 8 and section 12 were agreed on Committee Stage in the Dáil on 18 February. I thank Members of this House for their prompt consideration of the Bill so soon after that date. Both amendments relate to the superannuation benefits of the existing pensioners of the county enterprise boards and the schemes themselves.

Sections 12(1) to 12(3), inclusive, provide for Forfás, Enterprise Ireland or a local authority to accept staff into their employment who were previously employed by a county enterprise board on terms and conditions no less favourable in relation to remuneration. Current employees of the county enterprise boards will, upon dissolution, become members of the Forfás superannuation scheme, the Enterprise Ireland superannuation scheme or a local authority superannuation scheme as appropriate. This is provided for in section 12(5)(a). It provides for their entitlement to superannuation - pension benefits - to be calculated and paid by the body that accepted them into their employment. This was already in the Bill as laid down. As it stands today, Enterprise Ireland does not have a superannuation scheme, but will establish one once the Forfás legislation - the Industrial Development (Forfás Dissolution) Bill 2013 - has been passed and enacted. This Bill allows Enterprise Ireland to become an employer in its own right.

The amendment to section 12(5)(b) deals with the existing and deferred pensioners from the county enterprise boards. The amendment to section 8 ensures the liability for those pensioners does not transfer to Enterprise Ireland. The amendment to Section 12(5)(b) allows for the responsibility and liability of those pensioners to transfer to the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and for those pensions to be calculated and paid by the Minister. The amendment to section 12(5)(c) ensures the functions in relation to any existing pension schemes that were vested in a county enterprise board will now be vested in the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.