The Government agreed to a timed amendment to the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021. This was to allow time, as has been outlined in the Dáil, to examine all the issues carefully and to ensure that stakeholders - including retired workers themselves, trade unions, employers, industrial relations bodies, the Departments of Social Protection and Public Expenditure and Reform - are given the opportunity to express their views on these important matters.
Following deliberations in the Dáil, I recently held a meeting with members of the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament who shared with me, and officials from my Department, some of their views on occupational pension schemes.
I intend to shortly launch a public consultation into certain matters raised during consideration of the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021, and this will include input from organisations representing retired workers.