Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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584. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will consider appointing representatives of affected groups to the Pensions Commission such as groups (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12912/21]

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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610. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will consider including representatives from organisations (details supplied) on the Pensions Commission. [13128/21]

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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612. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will include representatives of key groups that the Pensions Commission’s deliberations involve and its decisions will affect (details supplied) and if not, the reason and basis for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13176/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 584, 610 and 612 together.

The Pensions Commission was established in November 2020 to examine sustainability and eligibility issues with the State Pension and the Social Insurance Fund, in fulfillment of a Programme for Government commitment. These issues are being considered from a perspective of fiscal and social sustainability, and intergenerational fairness. It has held eight meetings to date and will report on its findings by the end of June 2021. In this regard, the Commission is halfway through its work.

Membership of the Commission includes representation of workers, employers, civil society, academics and those with technical and policy expertise. This includes those with involvement in organisations supporting older people. The ICTU nomination on the Commission is a senior representative from SIPTU, a founding member of the Stop 67 coalition, and a member of the Executive Board of the National Women's Council of Ireland. I was keen to ensure that the Commission had strong female representation in its membership, and I am pleased that the majority of members – 7 out of 11 – are women. It is imperative that the Commission has the required expertise to progress its work and is independent in its deliberations.

As part of its work, the Commission has been asked to seek the views of recognised experts and representative groups by inviting submissions and presentations. Details on the Commission's work is available on its website, PensionsCommission.gov.ie. The Commission’s public consultation process closed just this week on the 9th of March. It sought submissions by email or by post from interested parties on sustainable State Pensions arrangements into the future. There was also a survey for those who did not wish to make a formal submission.

I am satisfied that the Commission, with its gender-balanced membership and extensive experience of social and public policy, is well equipped to grasp the potential impacts of any pensions reform options on affected groups, such as women, workers, and older people. It is of particular importance to consider the impact of any potential changes to the State Pension system on those who rely on it for all or most of their income.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputies.