asked the Minister for Social Welfare when it is her intention to introduce legislation for a national pension plan.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - National Pension Plan Legislation.
10.
As a first step in the development of a national pension plan, the Government established the National Pensions Board. The board's initial task is to advise on all aspects of occupational pension schemes, including funding and financial security, disclosure of information, transferability of pension rights and general monitoring of scheme performance. The board will also advise me on the question of providing earningsrelated pensions for all employees and in particular, the potential of occupational pension schemes in this regard.
I expect that the first report of the National Pensions Board will be presented to me shortly. Further proposals for the development of pensions provision will be brought forward in the light of the board's deliberations and of the recommendations of the Commission on Social Welfare.
Why is there such a delay in the board's report? Most of the ground work was done in a Green Paper in 1976 which pointed out shortcomings in the existing scheme. There was absence of a social insurance pension scheme for the self-employed and social insurance pensions for employees were relatively low. That Green Paper was followed by another in 1978 which showed that the social insurance scheme should be broadened to give as comprehensive a cover as possible. The Minister has told us that the board were formed earlier in the year and that they would report some time in the distant future.
I said shortly.
I know the Minister has been in the job for a relatively short time but she must know that the ground rules were laid in 1976 and again in 1978.
The Deputy's party could have done something about it — it is like the EC equality directive. The board will be reporting to me shortly. I expect to have it in the next few weeks. I am aware of the complexity of the subject and so are the National Pensions Board. I cannot make any further comment on the subject until I get that report.