Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 April 2024
268. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will respond to concerns raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18732/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis correspondence refers to the 2021 Private Members Bill on Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) sponsored by a number of Deputies. It is a matter for the Deputies to progress the Bill.
Last April, the then Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney, met with a group of representatives of Retired Associations in relation to the draft Bill. At this meeting, a number of issues were raised with regard to the statutory protections in place for retired workers who have defined benefit contributory pensions. As the issues raised relate to pensions schemes and the operation of the Pensions Acts, Minister Coveney wrote to the Minister for Social Protection, Minister Humphreys, as the Minister who has the policy responsibility for the Pensions Acts.
If a person is in receipt of an occupational pension, their relationship is with the trustees of the pension fund. They no longer have an employment relationship with their former employer. As the Deputy will be aware, trustees have statutory and fiduciary duties to act in the best interests of all members of a fund.
It is the responsibility of the Office of the Pensions Ombudsman to act in an independent and impartial means of resolving complaints alleging financial loss occasioned by an act of maladministration and disputes of fact or law in relation to occupational pensions schemes and Personal Retirement Savings Accounts.
The Joint Committee on Enterprise Trade and Employment met in public session on the 25 January 2023 to discuss detailed scrutiny of the Bill. Following this meeting, my Department issued a detailed brief to the Committee as requested and no further correspondence has been received by the Committee.
It remains my position that any amendment to the legislation governing the pension rights of retired persons is not an industrial relations issue.
