Feargal Quinn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

There is a crisis in the private pension sector. The leader of the industry stated recently that confidence has never been so low in the sector. Senator Darragh O'Brien recently raised the huge crisis for the pension schemes in Dublin Airport Authority and Aer Lingus but I do not think we have debated the wider issue of pensions recently. I suggest it is time to have a debate on what is clearly a crisis.

The industry feels threatened and believes it will need to start earning trust very quickly if it is to regain that trust. In the region of €2 billion has been taken out of pension schemes. People who saved all their lives for their pensions are suddenly finding they cannot retire on the expected basis. In regard to ensuring people have saved enough, usually self-employed people have to do this themselves. Concerns have been expressed that the Government is not valuing the self-employed, who are building industry and jobs in Ireland. The budget is almost telling people to stay in their safe and secure 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. jobs rather than go out to start their own businesses. This Government does not appear to recognise the benefits brought by self-employed people. We have to do something about that.

Many people are looking for jobs in Ireland but many employers are looking for people with the skills they want. France recently introduced the teaching of computer coding at primary level. Students younger than ten years of age are being taught computer coding. A young man in Ireland, James Whelan, has set up an organisation to facilitate such activities worldwide and it has been very successful. It is a reminder that we have to do something about the stresses and strains on primary schools. I do not understand why teachers are so opposed to continuous assessment, even though the Minister for Education and Skills is proposing that only 40% of assessments will be based on continuous assessment. In other countries teachers are crying out to be allowed to assess their pupils.