Vol. 496 No. 1
130 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Public Enterprise when Telecom Éireann pensioners will be paid their 2.5 per cent pension increase back dated from 1 November 1997; and if this payment has been blocked by the Government in view of the fact that the current negotiations under the ESOP scheme have no bearing on pensioners. [22080/98]
I understand from Telecom Eireann that agreement has been reached at the company's Joint Conciliation Council to implement increases under Partnership 2000 from 1 November 1997 for serving staff in the context of the finalised ESOP. However, the company is now making arrangements to implement these increases for its pensioners which will of course be fully back dated to 1 November last year. Pensioners can expect these increases to be reflected in payments to be made in the next number of weeks.
