Statement by The Alliance of Retired Public Servants on the
Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill, 2015
The Alliance of Retired Public Servants whose membership consists of constituent pension organisations (representing some 140,000 public service pensioners and their families) has received a small restoration to their modest pensions with the start of the government pension restoration as set out in Part III of the FEMPI Act, 2015. Whilst this small restoration is welcomed by the most vulnerable members of our organisation it is considered to be too little and too slow. As the saying goes time stands still for no man and our members do not have the luxury of time to await the abysmal slow rate of the restoration of their contractual and earned pension rights.
We welcome start of the gradual restoration of pensions over 2016, 2017 and 2018 that effects about 65,000 of our members however we feel that that progress by the Minister for Public and Expenditure and Reform and the Government should be expedited and that the membership of the Alliance should have their lawful rights re-instated as a matter of urgency and most certainly faster than the three years that has been set out.
Minister Noonan has stated that the economy is growing and the Irish economy is the fastest growing one in Europe and yet his Government continues to use the fig leaf of Emergency Legislation to hold on to our lawfully earned legal rights
The current slow restoration does not address the position of the 25,000 pensioners who are currently excluded from the restoration under the FEMPI Acts going forward. This is a fundamental unfairness and discrimination. Currently the Government parties and those who caused the financial meltdown are on our doorsteps promising all and sundry to the electorate. However these politicians have not and are not addressing the continuing discrimination that applies to the retired public service pensioners who have paid their dues to society through their service and their subsequent pension reductions.
We are been told continuously of the spectacular growth in the economy and the continuing success of the economy, it is now time to give back the benefit of this growth to our membership.
Currently the Government is restoring the pay of the serving public servants and as our pensions are based upon the salary of a comparable serving employee it is only fair and equitable that our pensions are maintained in accordance with this important enumerated right of parity with the current public servants.
The membership of the Alliance have not had access to the discussions and talks that have taken place between the Government and the public service unions in the past. This needs to be addressed to enable us to represent what our membership needs for the future. We are calling upon the incoming Government to address this as a matter of urgency and to allow our membership represent themselves at Congress to ensure that the voices of the vulnerable public service pensioners are heard and listened to.
We are therefore calling upon all the political parties to give an undertaking to listen to the concerns of the Alliance of the Retired Public Service Pensioners and to give a commitment to address the unlawful, the unfair and the discrimination that is the unfair continuance of the pensions reductions as provided for within the successive FEMPI Acts. Full and timely restoration of our property rights, the right to represent the membership in the future regarding pensions and the continuing of parity with our serving colleagues.
19th February 2015
Media Contacts: Brian Burke, Chairman,
087 - 8289091
Derek Ryan, PRO
18.ryan@gmail.com 086 - 8796599