Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of my party, Fianna Fáil, I extend my deepest sympathy to the families of those who were brutally murdered in the savage terrorist attack in Tunisia, in particular, those of the three Irish victims and our fellow countrymen, Laurence Hayes, Martina Hayes and Lorna Carty. It is disgraceful that people enjoying their holidays with their families were gunned down in such a callous fashion. My thoughts and those of my party colleagues are with them and all the victims of this terrible tragedy, and, indeed, the Tunisian people in dealing with this terrible threat of Muslim extremism. On another day, it would be important that, outside of a terrorist atrocity, we have a debate here on Muslim extremism and extremism in this country. As we speak, there are Irish citizens in Syria and in Iraq fighting for Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, ISIL, and that is something that needs to be addressed. It is not only a problem in France; there are issues here in Ireland as well.Today is not the appropriate day but we should certainly have a debate on that with the Minister for Justice and Equality.

Members may not be aware that today another €140 million has been taken out of people's private pension pots by the Government. This is the fourth year that has been done, raising the total to about €2.4 billion. People were doing what they had been asked to do by successive Governments, namely, making provision for their retirement. The irony is that anyone who has a pension is paying the levy, including the Aer Lingus pensioners who are losing 60% of their pensions, those in Tara Mines, the Waterford Crystal workers and all of these badly funded pension funds that are in grave difficulty. The Government needs to accept responsibility for the pensions crisis. This Government has done more than any other to undermine the basic premise and the safety of pensions and is the first one to actually take people's savings by way of a pension levy and has, in fact, taken more than it said it would. The pension levy was supposed to be abolished last year. It is another broken promise. The Government has let it go on for another year because it is easy money.

There are people in AXA and in Tara Mines who have had their pensions and payments reduced by 10% and 15% simply to pay the levy, which the Government said was used to bring new jobs into the retail and hospitality sectors. I accept it has done that but at what price? That the Government has decided to continue the levy for another year is a disgrace.

I heard the Tánaiste speak about compulsory pensions and how she would like to reform the pensions sector. When I heard that I laughed. The Tánaiste, as Minister for Social Protection with responsibility for pensions, has done more than anyone to undermine pensions. We need a debate on pension provision and how we can bring back confidence into the pensions sector. Should this Government or Fine Gael be re-elected, will it hit the pensioners again? Is it not ironic that the 15,000 Aer Lingus pensioners, about whom we have had debates, who have lost 50% and 60% of their pensions are paying this levy today out of their fund? It is disgraceful.