The programme for Government talks of working to make our older years better years. It is a noble sentiment but let us look at the reality on the ground. Would the Tánaiste care to comment about the fact that the largest drugs company in the entire world, which dodged $35 billion in US taxes when it relocated to Ireland in recent years, is trying to downgrade massively the pension entitlements of its Irish workforce, in other words, the very same workers who made many of the super profits for Pfizer in the first instance?

As the Tánaiste will be aware, strike action due to be carried out tomorrow at Pfizer, which employs approximately 600 people in our shared constituency, has been deferred and referred to the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC. The issue relates to changes in pension schemes and profitable companies - and this is not the only one - moving from defined benefit schemes to defined contribution schemes. Three Opposition Bills on this matter were brought forward but parked while Government brought forward the social welfare and pensions Bill 2017. Where is that Bill? There has not been any progress on it since then. Is it the case that the Government is giving big companies time to get their house in order before the law is changed?

Pfizer is just one example of a major problem we have with occupational pensions in this State which has been ignored by successive Governments over many years. We need protections for employees. These are basic protections. At the very least, employees should be able to depend on a pension pot when they reach pension age, something they have been paying into for their entire working lives. Protections are included in the general scheme of the social welfare and pensions Bill 2017 but we have not seen a final version of that legislation. Three Opposition Bills, one of which was brought forward by Sinn Féin, were parked while the Minister brought forward the general scheme of the social welfare and pensions Bill in 2017. Those Bills included protections for employees in respect of defined benefit schemes. Can we get clarity on where it is and when it will be brought forward to put these protections in place for these schemes?

On the industrial dispute between some SIPTU workers and Pfizer, I am glad to say the WRC has invited both parties back in for discussions. There is a Labour Court recommendation that was put together on this issue, which the company and management accepted and the workers decided not to accept, which is their right. I hope that talks can take place in the WRC and get a positive outcome. Pfizer has been an extraordinarily good and positive employer in Ireland and has invested hundreds of millions of euro in our economy. This is an issue that needs to be resolved but I am confident that the industrial relations machinery of the State can be effective in this case, and I am glad that both sides are engaging.

What about the Bill?

I do not have an exact date for the Bill.