Waterford Crystal pensions
Deputy Shanahan raised the long-running Waterford Crystal pensions dispute and said new information had emerged about workers being excluded from an annuity option. The Taoiseach said the Minister of State is engaged and he will meet the Ministers involved and revert.
Recently, there was recognition in this House of a 43-year-long struggle for social justice. We have another one now, which is the Waterford Crystal factory pensions issue, which has been going on for 32 years. It was visited by "Prime Time" last week, which brought up new information that showed there was understanding between the Irish Pensions Trust and the factory workers, where over 400 families were excluded from a pensions annuity option or the transfer of a pension. A case was taken to the ECJ in 2013. These people were excluded because they were not allowed access to the annuity option. Will the Taoiseach ask the Department to have a look at this on behalf of the workers? This has been going on for over 30 years. It is a social justice issue. It has been looked at by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Minister for Social Protection but the documentation that is supposed to underpin those people signing away their rights has not been produced in 30 years.