Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

As was their right the workers took a case to the European courts which vindicated their entitlements. This time last year I set out to see if a mediated negotiation could be achieved. The details of the negotiation will show the various arrangements which the Waterford Glass workers accepted. I thank the chairperson of the Labour Relations Commission, Mr. Kieran Mulvey, for his work in acting as the agreed nominee for my proposal and he was accepted by the unions. I congratulate the workers and all concerned for the achievement of a mediated outcome. If we could have more mediated outcomes in disputes rather than recourse to the courts, it would probably save the State very significant costs and in many cases would provide for a better outcome.

In the case of the Waterford Glass workers there were no funds. The company was insolvent and so too the pension fund to a significant degree. The purpose of the 2013 Act was to get as many as possible defined benefit pension schemes over the line with a view to providing the maximum protection for the members of those schemes. The previous Government abandoned the pension funding standard so there was no standard. This is all fact-----