2026-02-11

I hope that after this matter being raised with the Department by myself and members of all parties and none over recent weeks and months, through umpteen parliamentary questions, on Leader's Questions and in various Topical Issues debates, that the Minister of State has some better news today for the Eir and An Post pensioners. I hope that he listened to the retired workers from Eir and An Post who were outside the Dáil yesterday demanding immediate action on pension increases already agreed and unjustifiably withheld. We stood with them yesterday and listened to their concerns. It is never seemly for the Government to have pensioners protesting outside this House. If the Government wants to do something about this, it is in its gift to do so. The increases have already been agreed by unions, trustees, actuaries and the companies' boards but the Government is sitting on its hands. We do not know why. The An Post and Eir pensioners do not receive annual State pension increases. They rely on these agreed adjustments to meet basic living costs. The Government knows this and its inaction makes a mockery of its stated commitment to protecting vulnerable pensioners and addressing the cost-of-living pressures they face. The pension schemes are well regulated, they have plenty of money in them and there is no cost to the Exchequer. In response to my question on this matter three weeks ago, the Minister said that the Department and all relevant stakeholders "are endeavouring to achieve the same at the earliest, keeping in line with the appropriate processes, compliance with all applicable requirements, and necessary approvals." Are we there yet? It is as simple as that.

We condemn the continued delay in implementing the agreed pension increase for An Post and Eir pensioners, despite a deal brokered between unions, including the Communications Workers' Union, An Post, Eir and Government officials. The agreement provides for payments to more than 7,000 affected An Post pensioners who remain without the payments they were promised. This delay contradicts the Government's stated commitment to protecting vulnerable pensioners and addressing the cost-of-living pressures currently being faced by them. The Communication Workers' Union secured what is widely recognised as a reasonable and overdue restoration of pension value but the pace of Government endorsement has undermined the very purpose of the agreement. The lack of timely ministerial correspondence and action has left An Post and Eir pensioners stuck waiting for money that is rightfully theirs, undermining trust in both State institutions and the administration of pension schemes. Pensioners must not bear the brunt of political delays or bureaucratic inertia. I call for guaranteed, timely relief for pensioners and for the restoration of parity between pensioner's pay and active pay wherever possible. The current impasse risks compounding financial hardship for pensioners who already face rising costs of living, including higher heating bills, and constrained budgets. The Minister of State corresponded with the pensioners on Monday last. He signed off on the agreement but the Minister for Social Protection needs to do so as well. While that correspondence was a welcome step forward, there was no mention of the Eir pensioners or of when the increase is going to be paid. In what month this year does the Minister of State expect An Post and Eir pensioners to get their agreed pension entitlements? They have worked hard all of their lives and are now being poorly treated by the State regarding their entitlements.

I thank Deputies Byrne and Guirke for raising this matter this morning. Under section 46 of the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act 1983, the Minister for Culture, Communication and Sport, with the concurrence of the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, approves any superannuation schemes submitted by An Post, including proposals to increase pensions and deferred pensions. The requirement to seek approval from both Ministers is also reiterated in the code of practice for the governance of State bodies in the remuneration and superannuation annex. The operation of the schemes is then a matter between the management of An Post, staff representatives and the trustees of the schemes. On 23 October 2025, An Post wrote to the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport requesting consent for an increase to pensions in payment and deferred pensions. The proposal was to increase pensions in payment for members and deferred members of the An Post superannuation scheme by 6% per annum with effect from 1 January 2025 and 1% from 1 June 2025, arising from its agreements with employee representative groups. Correspondence from An Post indicates that this agreement was made with the An Post group of unions on 9 September 2025. On receipt of the proposal my Department carried out an initial review and subsequently, on 30 October 2025, the Department requested advice from NewERA to aid the Ministers' consideration of the approval request. This is in line with section 2.13 of the code of practice for the governance of State bodies superannuation and remuneration annex, which sets out that NewERA advice should be sought in respect of pension amendment proposals, as is appropriate in its role as commercial and financial advisor to the Ministers. On receipt of advice from NewERA, the Department prepared a submission recommending ministerial approval for the proposed increases. The proposal was approved by me on 4 February 2026 and by the Minister, Deputy O’Donovan, on 5 February 2026. On foot of those approvals, also on 5 February, the Department, in line with the 1983 Act and the code of practice, submitted a business case to the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, seeking the concurrence of the Minister, Deputy Chambers, for the increases. I will now turn to the matter of the pension increase request for Eir pensioners. Eircom Limited, trading as Eir, was formerly a commercial State body, Telecom Éireann, which was privatised in 1999. Telecom Éireann was established under the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act 1983. Section 46 of that Act enabled Telecom Éireann to prepare and submit a pension scheme to the Minister, along with other superannuation provisions. The former Telecom Éireann main superannuation scheme is now known as the Eircom superannuation scheme. Section 10 of that scheme stipulates that Eircom Limited may grant pension increases to members, as authorised by the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport with the concurrence of the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. On 8 August 2025, Eir wrote to the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport requesting consent for a pension increase of 2.1% for Eir pensioners, in respect of both pre- and post-vesting day service with effect from 1 July 2025. The pension increase followed board approval for a salary increase for serving staff with effect from 1 July 2025. The pension increase is determined by the pensions accord 2010 and by the average rate of the consumer price index, CPI, throughout the calendar year 2024. On receipt of the proposal, the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport carried out an initial review and engaged with Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment on the procedures involved. On 17 November 2025, the Department requested advice from NewERA to aid the Ministers' consideration of the approval request. A copy of the triennial valuation report and a report on the financial condition of the Eircom No. 2 superannuation fund were subsequently submitted to NewERA. NewERA provided a comprehensive report on the proposed increases on 6 February 2026. Department officials are now considering the report with a view to making a submission to the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport shortly. While it is important that pensions approval processes are carried out with careful consideration by Departments and NewERA, the Department does understand that waiting for approval is frustrating for both workers and pensioners. The An Post pension increase request is currently under consideration by the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. This is the final step in the approvals process. The Eir pension increase request is under consideration by officials in my Department. It is important to note that the pension increases cannot be considered agreed or implemented until such time as ministerial approval from both Departments has been obtained. It should be recognised that the time taken for the pension approval process is necessary to ensure that robust governance procedures are in place, that the code of practice is complied with and the relevant legislation is adhered to.

I thank the Minister of State for his response. The requested 6% increase for An Post pensioners and 2.1% increase for Eir pensioners are minuscule in the greater scheme of things. We are in a cost-of-living crisis. The cost of absolutely everything has gone up and while it is pennies to the Government, it is massive to these people who served this State for decades. I note in the Minister of State's response that the Department has acknowledged that the waiting time for approval is frustrating for both workers and pensioners. We need to develop a better system going forward. These vulnerable people, who have served the State for decades, cannot be left waiting like this. I urge the Minister of State to do anything he can to get this across the line for Eir and An Post pensioners.

The Minister of State said: The An Post pension increase request is currently under consideration by the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation. This is the final step in the approvals process. The Eir pension increase request is under consideration by officials in my Department. It is important to note that the pension increases cannot be considered agreed or implemented until such time as ministerial approval from both Departments has been obtained. It should be recognised that the time taken for the pension approval process is necessary to ensure that robust governance procedures are in place ... Those involved want to know, and we call on the Government to immediately confirm, the timing and method of payment to all eligible An Post and Eir pensioners without further delay. It is time these workers' rights were acted on. It has gone on long enough. We need to know when these people will get paid.

I thank Deputies Byrne and Guirke. I have outlined the timelines. While these pension increases were to apply with regard to An Post from 1 January 2025, the agreement relating to the increase was not agreed between the unions and An Post until September 2025. It was only at that point that it was agreed. The agreement went to the Department at the end of October, as has been outlined. Governance mechanisms and the need to make appropriate decisions require that the Department must engage with NewERA because there has to be an assessment in order to identify whether it is appropriate. We referred the agreement to NewERA at the end of October and we got it back in the past number of weeks. It then came to me with a recommendation for approval and I signed off within a day or two - on the day I received it or the day after certainly - as did the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan. Over a week or so ago, it went to the Minister for public expenditure. It has, therefore, only been with him for that length of time. I have no doubt he will deal with it expeditiously. There has not been any dragging of feet on the Government's part in relation to the timelines. It was agreed with the unions at the end of September and it came to us at the end of October. We asked NewERA to do carry out an assessment and advise us, and we are now expediting the matter. I fully understand the importance for people of having their pensions and getting their increases. I am very conscious of that. We are acting as expeditiously as we possibly can. I have no doubt that the Minister, Deputy Chambers, will do the same and will be considering it now, particularly as it has been with him for the past week or so.

Does the Minister of State have any idea when it will be progressed?

As people can see from the outline I provided that we have been acting very promptly. I do not believe it could have been done in a shorter timeframe. NewERA had to do its assessment, look at the fund and the request relating to it and make recommendations to the various Ministers. As soon as I got it, I signed off on it. It has gone to the Minister, Deputy Chambers, and I have no doubt he will act very promptly. Our objective is to get this applied as soon as possible. We understand that it is very important.