David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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289. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to fact that persons (details supplied) have lodged an appeal with his Department and were informed they would receive a letter before 15 May 2017 but to date have not received such a letter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25585/17]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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I understand that the persons referred to by the Deputy are part of a group of former workers who left the service of Waterford Crystal in the early 1990s and received their full pension entitlements in relation to pre-1991 service under the schemes at that point. The payments made at that time were in full and final settlement of their entitlements under the schemes and were paid in accordance with Pension Regulations then in force. Subsequently, some of these individuals took a case against Waterford Crystal Limited and Irish Pensions Trust Limited and my information is that this case was settled in December 2009 on terms that were satisfactory to both parties.

Accordingly, these persons did not have any entitlement to a benefit under the Waterford Crystal Pension Factory and Staff Schemes at the date of their wind-up in relation to their pre 1991 service. Settlement terms in relation to post-1991 service were offered to these individuals in August 2015 as part of a mediated agreement put together by Mr. Kieran Mulvey for former Waterford Crystal workers covering 1774 members.

During that mediation process it was agreed by the parties that disputes in relation to individual cases would be referred to an independent dispute resolution process organised by Mr. Mulvey. Therefore, that dispute resolution process was not dealt with by my Department and consequently no appeals were lodged in my Department in relation to this matter.

I understand that the dispute resolution officer concerned has already written to members who made appeals in relation to contract service and intends to write to the other remaining appellants shortly.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.