Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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67. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Bill 2017 will be amended to provide protection for persons facing attacks on their defined benefit schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46812/17]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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85. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason protections for members of defined benefit schemes were removed from the Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Bill 2017; her plans to address the ongoing issues faced by members in particular schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46702/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 67 and 85 together.

The General Scheme of the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2017, which was published in May, contained a number of key measures to respond to the ongoing difficulties in defined benefit schemes and to increase protections for members. The proposals provide for –

i) the introduction of a time limit for submitting funding proposals and for the annual preparation and submission of actuarial funding certificates;

ii) the introduction of a minimum notice period when an employer decides to cease contributions to a scheme; and

iii) the Pensions Authority to direct payment of a funding obligation payable by the employer to the trustees of the scheme where a scheme is in deficit and the sponsoring employer has failed to adequately support the scheme to address the funding deficit.

Given the technical and complex nature of the provisions in the General Scheme, including the pension provisions, there was not adequate time to include all of these measures in the text of the Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Bill 2017 at Second Stage in the Dáil. It is my intention to introduce these amendments to the Bill at Committee Stage.

Finally, many of the provisions contained within the IORP II EU Directive (Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provision) will also support positive reform of the Irish occupational pension sector. Implementation of the Directive will require legislative changes and my officials, together with the Pensions Authority, are working on the transposition process to ensure that any necessary amendments to existing laws, regulations or administrative provisions will be made, or where necessary any new provisions are implemented, to give full effect to the Directive.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputies.