Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I ask colleagues to consider what is being done. I appreciate the Minister's presence. I reiterate my congratulations and that of my group and I wish him well in his tenure but I could not think of a worse way of commencing it than to remove and drastically change the rights of 15,000 workers in the IASS. It is unfortunate that the Government has not during our detailed debates over the past few weeks seen fit to delete the section relating to superannuation and pension schemes. When the new Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection enacted the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013, she provided for unilateral, sweeping changes to pension schemes, including amending the order of priority in so far as they affect retired members. Fund managers and trustees are being let off the hook.

When this legislation is passed shortly, it will be the first time in the history of the State that a Government introduced legislation to confer powers on trustees to remove members from existing schemes and reduce their benefits without their consent. This will be the first of many schemes in semi-State companies to be affected by this. This will lead to the clearing of balance sheets to sell off the stake in Aer Lingus and other commercial semi-State companies. This is a drastic change to pension rights.

Over the past few weeks, I have tabled amendments along with colleagues in Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin, all of which were voted down, and I raised issues with the former Minister, Deputy Varadkar. We have tried to demonstrate to the Government parties that what they are doing in advance of an agreement to deal with the deficit in the IASS, which must be dealt with, is giving powers to the employer, though they may call it the trustee, to do what it likes.