Ceisteanna ó na Comhaltaí Eile - Other Members’ Questions
Dail Éireann — 2026-04-30
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Simon Harris (FG), Wicklow

I thank my colleague, Deputy Butterly, for raising this matter. I accept her challenge and request in terms of seeking progress and expediency in relation to this. I am also conscious of CIÉ pensioners who are probably watching this and thinking there has been nothing expeditious about it. I am conscious of that as I say it. I did speak with ministerial colleagues on this during the week and I know there is a shared sense of urgency to get this done for once and for all in the interest of these pensioners. I thank the Deputy raising it today.
Factually, issues in relation to CIÉ pensions are primarily a matter for the trustees of the pension schemes, which is the CIÉ group and their employees. The CIÉ group operates two defined benefit pension schemes, namely, the regular wages scheme, RWS, and the 1951 superannuation scheme. As I know Deputy Butterly knows, between 2008 and 2022 both schemes did not meet the statutory minimum funding standard which is required by the Pensions Authority. At the end of 2023, those schemes did meet that standard. The most recent CIÉ pensions proposal in 2025 was negotiated across a number of months between the group and the trade union group. I thank them for the work they did on this with the aim to ensure the stability of the scheme while crucially ensuring there was no reduction in benefits, and providing overdue increases, which is the nub of this issue, for CIÉ pensioners. A ballot on the proposal ran, I think, from 11 July to 15 August last year. The ballot passed both schemes on 19 August. Since then, and I acknowledge the work of the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien on this, the Department of Transport has been working with its own financial and commercial advisers, including NewERA, to engage with all relevant stakeholders, whether that is the Pensions Authority or the Department of public expenditure, on the next steps to progress that agreement and bring CIÉ pensions onto a more stable footing for the benefit of active and retired scheme members. We do not want to see this ever happen again. As part of that, they are also reviewing all the relevant statutory instruments and of course the matter of increases to pension payments.
I am pleased to tell the Deputy that there has been very positive engagement between the Department of Transport and the Department of public expenditure and reform on the policy issues. Everybody is working now to really get the proposal reviewed and the relevant ministerial consents in place at the earliest possible time. I am struck by the point the Deputy made around proper communications in relation to this, though, being honest and blunt with people and not giving them a sense it is going to be on a particular date and then it ends up being at a further time. I will engage with Ministers and more broadly with the system in relation to that. I know it is something the Minister, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, would also feel strongly about. The main thing I want to say to the Deputy today is that there is very sincere, very intense engagement to try to get this matter resolved for once and for all, as expeditiously as possible, but also to make sure it is done in such a manner that it is stable going forward and we do not find ourselves in this situation again.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-04-30/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-27T06:54:49+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-04-30