Deputy Avril Doyle, in her highly articulate way, laid the foundation for my brief comments on the supplementary Estimate introduced here this morning. She stated, in historic and national terms, what we owe to Irish Shipping and the incredible importance of their part in the sheer survival of this nation. The dedication of some staff led to the sacrifice of their lives on our behalf. Everybody connected with Irish Shipping — not just those on the high seas — had an abiding sense of loyalty, an incredibly high level of dedication and a sense of being part of a State and a national company. They had an exemplary work ethic and that is what we mean when we refer to Irish Shipping employees, who are without pension and employment far earlier than they thought. To give an idea of the sense of uniqueness and loyalty within the company, over 35 per cent of the staff of Irish Shipping were working there for over 30 years. This must be a singular achievement in regard to companies, staff and long lasting jobs within the State.
We are not just considering the financial deprivation, hardship and shock suffered by the employees of Irish Shipping; we are also talking about the psychological effect; which is very marked. These employees had a sense of unity and dedication down the years that gave them a sense of security, a sense of family. When considering pension and redundancy rights for these employees it is very important that we do not understimate the psychological shock and sense of personal let-down these employees have suffered.
I welcome this Supplementary Estimate, which hopfully will allow further expansion. We are recognising pensioners who were serving Irish Shipping during the Second World War, but I would like this list to be extended to include people who have given many years of loyal service, sometimes more than 40 years, providing very necessary back-up services. I have heard of one woman who worked in that office for over 40 years and finds herself on a pension as low as £14 a week. She has been forced to seek cheaper, less comfortable accommodation at this hour of her life, she is in her seventies.
The Minister said that, due to the financial and legal sensitivities involved, it had not been found possible to consider extending the concession to all pensioners of the company. Other Deputies have spoken about the financial and legal sensitivities involved and we all hope that a new look will be taken at this. But the Cabinet should look at other areas too. As a caring Government we must look at the financial, physical, and psychological hardship suffered by the pensioners of Irish Shipping and recognise that we have a moral responsibility to these people.
As many Deputies have said, we must also recognise the painful circumstances these people find themselves in through no fault of their own. In the days of the company's working life there was never a more loyal, dedicated expert group of people than those working for Irish Shipping. Since the tragedy of the liquidation there has not been a more responsible, mature, wise and disciplined group than these employees, who are trying to achieve a certain modicum of their pension rights, particularly for their older workers and hopefully job opportunities in a rescaled and re-established shipping line.
As public representatives, we know the families of these workers and the hardships they are suffering. It is up to us to bring these matters to the attention of the House and to make the Government more aware of the position. These very hardworking people have found themselves at this incredible disadvantage through no fault of their own.
If we are to be seen as valuing the loyal service given to this country by people in the State or semi-State areas, then the Government must recognise they have a responsibility to respond to the hardship suffered by these people and not leave them adrift on a very cruel sea. The least we can do is to give them the protection of decent pensions. As Deputy Doyle said, this is a subject which, hopefully, we can discuss in the not too distant future so that we can provide this protection for all working people.
I accept that the Minister and the liquidator had to look at the fact that these pensions were being topped up; but we, as legislators, have to ask ourselves if we can allow long-serving hard-working people to rely on pension schemes which are so inadequate that they have to be topped up and that when a crisis erupts that topping up is taken from them. This topping up is needed to help these people to survive. If we are to be seen as valuing our workers and encouraging the work ethic, that is one of the first areas on which we will have to concentrate.
Deputy Skelly put forward a series of options which, hopefully, the Minister and Cabinet might consider. I would welcome an early response from the Minister, perhaps even today. As Deputy Skelly said, crisis situations and emergency situations are constantly changing, both financially and socially. These demand negotiations, consultations and changed structures so that bridges can be built.
I am asking this morning that structures, which in the past would not have allowed consideration of what we are putting forward this morning, be re-examined. I wish and hope that all the pensioners may be included in an expanded Supplementary Estimate and that redundancy payments be accepted as a type of pension. When a work life is cut off earlier than wished, redundancy should be seen as a pension to which these people are entitled. I support completely what other Deputies have said about a re-examination of the matter to allow decent, honourable redundancy payments to be given in recognition of the cutting short of working lives.
I hope that future Cabinet decisions will take into account what has been said in this debate. I also hope that the employees of Irish Shipping who have formed themselves into a co-operative will be allowed once more to use their responsibility, maturity and expertise in setting up a national shipping line here, giving them the satisfaction, not just personal but on a national level, of putting their talents to good use for the country. This would allow Ireland as a nation to retain its independence and neutrality. A re-established, modified, practical and profitable shipping line would go very far towards enabling us to retain the needed independence and neutrality that we have striven after and wish to continue. The employees of Irish Shipping are an absolute example of what we are talking about when we speak of what we want — a national society and an independent nation for the future.