DAA pension scheme freeze
Paul McAuliffe raised the long-running freeze on DAA retirees’ pensions, which have lost much of their value since 2007. The Taoiseach said he would ask the Minister for Social Protection to meet the workers and examine the matter.
Paddy Fagan is a gentleman who came to my clinic yesterday evening. He is a retired Dublin Airport Authority, DAA, worker. He has been coming to my clinic for many years. Those retired workers have not received an increase since 2007 because the scheme has effectively been frozen. It was worth 82% of the minimum wage in 2007. They are now on only half of the minimum wage as retired people. The real value of their pensions has decreased. They hoped that the Bill introduced by former Deputy Bríd Smith, the Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill, might have helped. There were valid reasons the Government moved a money message on that legislation. Will the Taoiseach ask the Minister for Social Protection, who has responsibility for the Pensions Authority, to meet those retired workers? The money message indicated that was the Department with responsibility for the Pensions Authority and for representing retired workers in pension schemes.
Comment on this
I thank the Deputy for raising an important issue for the DAA pension scheme and workers. I hear what he is saying and will ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will meet the workers. Perhaps the Deputy could liaise with the Minister, too, but I will raise the issue. I understand the negative impact on the workers concerned if its value has gone down to 50% of what the wage was.