Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am aware that I can do that but I have used every opportunity to argue against what has happened to the retired and deferred pensioners in the Irish aviation superannuation scheme, the airport pensioners, many of whom have lost up to 60% of their pension. All of the retired members, people in their 70s, 80s and 90s, have lost six weeks' pay and are taking a case to Europe as we speak, having lodged a case on account of the fact that their basic pension rights have been torn up by this Government.

Using part of the proceeds of that sale would go a long way to reducing the level of cuts facing the retired members, represented by RASA, and the deferred members, many of whom have sent e-mails to colleagues in this House in the past couple of days detailing their situations. Some of them have paid into their pension scheme for 42 years but they have now been butchered to permit the sale of the Government's stake in Aer Lingus. The whole thing was a divi-up purely to get rid of the deficit in the pension scheme to sell to IAG. That has been done and the Government has moved 5,000 existing members of the scheme into an inferior pension scheme and cut the other 10,000 substantially.

At every stage available to me I will argue that we should not have sold the 25% stake but, now that the Government has done that, it is not prohibited from finding other funds to make a payment which will reduce the level of cuts suffered by the retired and deferred members of the IASS scheme. For that reason, I oppose taking No. 1 without debate. It is important the Seanad's voice is heard on that prior to it going to the committee and that ideas for the use of the funds should come from the Seanad and then go to the finance committee. That is what I want.I and my colleagues in Fianna Fáil will oppose taking No. 1 today without debate. We should have a debate and the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Donohoe, should come to the House.