Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

If I was to accept that it was possible for individuals to opt out, it would collapse the agreement, as the Senators know full well.

On the issue of part-time workers, everybody will benefit pro rata. I cannot talk about individuals, but on a pro ratabasis, the benefits will apply to working time. If the Senator would like to outline me the details of a case, I will ask my officials to examine it.

I am asking the Seanad to allow me to give legislative effect to a negotiated agreement in the negotiation of which the great preponderance of public sector workers involved themselves, on which they have voted and they agreed to. Not everybody has done so, but the great majority have and that is the way collective negotiations happen in a civilised country. I want the authority of the Seanad to fulfil my part of the agreement because the Government and ICTU have agreed and we need to deliver on it in order that we can begin to restore the pay of public servants from 1 January.

When public sector pensioner organisations first approached me, I suggested they form one collective. They did and I have met them more than once since, while my officials met them throughout the process. I have agreed in parallel that public sector pensioners will have their pensions restored in three payments, the first of which will be made on 1 January 2016 and the others in 2017 and 2018. Everybody will get something back. Everybody on approximately €35,000 will benefit from full pension restoration in that period. I discussed the issue in the other House. I do not want to be maudlin about it, but Members have argued that there is greater urgency for pensioners to benefit from pay restoration than workers for obvious reasons. If circumstances improve, I will examine this issue again in the lifetime of the agreement. Everybody in receipt of a pension of approximately €35,000 will have his or her pension restored by the conclusion of the agreement. It will be open to the whoever occupies my office next year to work out the sequencing of the restoration of the balance. Some 80% of all pensioners will have their pensions fully restored under the Bill.