The necessary resources and personnel are made available, as required, to transpose those EU directives into Irish law for which I have responsibility.
The main such directives, for which compliance is already required, provide for the application of the principle of equal treatment between men and women in matters of social security under both statutory and occupational schemes. Full legislative effect has been given to these directives in the Social Welfare Acts, and the regulations thereunder, in relation to statutory schemes and in the Pensions Act, as amended, and its regulations, in relation to occupational schemes.
Appropriate provision has also been made in the Social Welfare Acts to give effect to requirements of EU directives in relation to parental leave and health and safety benefit.
There is currently one directive, the Supplementary Pensions Directive 98/49/EC of 29 June 1998, which is still awaiting transposition into Irish law. The provisions of this directive must be transposed into Irish law by 25 July 2001. My Department is in consultation with the Pensions Board on the matter, with a view to establishing what new provisions, if any, need to be included in the Pensions Act to achieve full transposition. The Pensions Act already provides for most of the main requirements of the directive.
The necessary resources and personnel both in my Department and the Pensions Board are being made available to ensure that full transposition is achieved before the deadline set down in the directive.