Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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224. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason a promise made in Dáil Éireann in 1975 by the then Minister for Transport and Power, Mr. Peter Barry, has not been honoured (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42540/19]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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I am assuming the Deputy is referring to the Irish Airlines (General Employees) Superannuation Scheme (IASS) and wish to state that as Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, I have no function in relation to the administration of this Scheme.  However, I understand that this topic has been the subject of a number of reviews by my predecessors and senior civil servants in my Department over the years in which legal advice was sought on the matter.  The position is that former employees of the Department of Transport and Power voluntarily resigned from the civil service upon accepting posts with Aer Rianta.

On transfer to Aer Rianta with their agreement, those employees also transferred from the Civil Service Pension Scheme to the IASS.  Their pension entitlements were transferred at the same time and the IASS received a contribution from the Department in full recognition of the benefit accrued.

It is the Department’s view that daa (formerly Aer Rianta) has complied with its obligations to these former civil servants with regard to their pension entitlement in accordance with the terms agreed at the time they accepted a contract of employment with Aer Rianta.

If the Deputy is referring to recent cuts made by the Trustees of the IASS to pensions in payment, this is the subject of on-going legal proceedings and I am unable to comment any further on the issue.