Vol. 532 No. 4
201 Mr. P. Carey asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if she rejected proposals in relation to Dublin Gas pensions and a modest £20 per week widows and orphans pension to be paid to surviving pensioners of Dublin Gas after they had been accepted by the board of Bord Gáis; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7972/01]
The request for a spouses pension on a non-contributory basis was not approved on the basis that on taking over the old Dublin Gas Company, BGE accepted liability to continue the payment of pensions in accordance with the terms of the pension scheme under which the pensioners retired. No commitment existed that these arrangements would be subject to review or enhancement. Any concession regarding payment of a spouses pension on a non-contributory basis would lead to knock-on effects in both private and public sector schemes and in any case there is no statutory basis for a concession.
