Vol. 536 No. 1
22 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if the chairmen of Aer Lingus and Aer Rianta have responded to her in relation to the revised claim for enhanced pension entitlements by the Retired Aviation Staff Association and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13162/01]
I recently asked the chairmen of Aer Lingus and Aer Rianta for their comments on a revised proposal by the Retired Aviation Staff Association for enhanced pension benefits for Aer Lingus and Aer Rianta pensioners. The revised proposal from RASA involves the making of additional annual payments by Aer Lingus and Aer Rianta into the pension fund, for the purpose of increasing pensioners' payments to the same level as would apply to serving staff on the basis of current pay levels.
The chairmen have advised me that neither Aer Lingus or Aer Rianta are in a position to provide additional annual payments into the pension fund as would be required under the revised claim from the retirees association. I have been advised that both companies have been meeting all of their liabilities towards the pension fund in accordance with the rules of the scheme and that the scheme is delivering the benefits for which it was established. As regards pension enhancements to benefit both serving staff and existing pensioners, the companies' position is that these will emerge from negotiations with representatives of staff which are associated with strategic change initiatives in respect of both companies. In the case of Aer Lingus, this means the privatisation of the airline as decided by the Government.
As I previously indicated, the terms of the proposed new pension schemes are essentially a matter for the companies concerned to negotiate with staff interests, taking account of a number of factors, not least affordability and industrial relations priorities for the companies concerned. Existing Aer Lingus and Aer Rianta pensioners who transfer to the new Aer Lingus and Aer Rianta pension schemes will receive the improved benefits when the new schemes are introduced.
