asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he will amend the regulations governing staff pensions in CIE so as to admit workers who did not apply for inclusion within the specified 12 month period and who now have lengthy periods of service and are anxious for inclusion.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - CIE Staff Pensions.
3.
Under the Transport Acts the initiative in proposing amendments to CIE pension schemes rests with CIE. If an amendment to enable the workers referred to by the Deputy to enter the scheme is submitted to me by the Board, I shall consider it sympathetically.
Does the Parliamentary Secretary not agree that it would be somewhat difficult for an aggrieved party to start that process? Would he not bring the situation to the notice of the Board, with the observation that in the light of the possibility of their being people of any humanity, they might, in fact, initiate this scheme for the benefit of those referred to in the question?
At no time has the Minister in charge of a State company initiated pension schemes or changes of a basic character in this regard, but, at the same time, I think that if the people whom the Deputy describes as aggrieved parties were to make the approach in the normal way to the Board and agreement were to be reached, the Minister would be quite sympathetic.
The normal way being through their trade union, I assume?
Through the trade union.