RTÉ pension fund costs
Deputy Bríd Smith asks about a reported U-turn allowing RTÉ pension fund assets to cover administration costs and whether Dáil approval would be needed. The Tánaiste says he will raise the matter with the Minister.
A couple of years ago, RTÉ wrote to Catherine Martin, the Minister, to ask for permission to use the pension fund to pay for the administrative costs of the fund. This is not normally done; the employer normally pays the admin costs. The figure involved would be upwards of €30 million over the lifetime of the fund. She refused, but RTÉ appealed and apparently she has done a U-turn on that. Why would she have done a U-turn? If Paschal Donohoe signs off on this, and apparently he has to, will it have to come back before the Dáil for our approval? Would it have implications for other schemes in the semi-State sector? If this is done for RTÉ, could CIÉ, An Post or whatever dip into their pension funds to pay the admin costs rather than the employer paying them?
