Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 50: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he has completed his consideration of the recent report he received from the Pensions Board, entitled, Special Savings for Retirement Report on Mandatory Pension System; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15203/07]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 61: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if he has received the completed Green Paper on Pensions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15297/07]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 78: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when he expects to publish the Green Paper on pensions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15296/07]

Gay Mitchell (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 99: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs when he expects to begin the consultation process on the pensions Green Paper; the persons who will be involved in same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15298/07]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 50, 61, 76, 78 and 99 together.

As the House is aware, the Government is committed to producing a Green Paper on pensions in accordance with the partnership agreement "Towards 2016".

The preparation of the Green Paper follows a period of increased activity in the development of pensions policy which has seen the publication of two major reports by the Pensions Board — the 'National Pensions Review' and 'Special Savings for Retirement'. These two reports built on the earlier report of the Board on the National Pensions Policy Initiative (NPPI), published in 1998.

This Green Paper will take account of these reports and examine the situation in a much broader way to deal with issues raised in the partnership talks, such as the operation of the funding standard for defined benefit schemes, together with a comprehensive look at issues in relation to social welfare pensions which arise from time to time, both here in the House and in representations which I receive. The Green Paper will not recommend any particular course of action but rather set out clearly the current situation and the implications, from an economic and social perspective, of various courses of action which have been suggested. The Green Paper will be published when the Government has completed its consideration of the wide range of issues involved.

The publication of the Green Paper will be the initial move in a series of measures which are to culminate in the Government publishing a framework for long-term pensions policy. A consultation process, which will be comprehensive and inclusive, will be decided on when the Green Paper is published.