Report on the Consultation Process for the Green Paper on Pensions
Foreword from the Minister
In October 2007, the Government published the Green Paper on Pensions and opened an extensive consultation process to gather the views of people and organisations on our current pensions system. We received 322 submissions from individuals and 62 from organisations. The six regional seminars were attended by over 300 people and the national conference by 140 people. This generous response confirms that the pensions issue is one which stimulates a large degree of opinion and interest, much of this based on personal experience.
This report on the consultation process reflects the many and varied views that emerged on the way forward for pensions in Ireland. While there was no overall consensus on what reforms are necessary to ensure adequate and sustainable pension provision, it was clear that the individuals and organisations that made submissions and attended the seminars and national conference held strong and informed views on what should be done. The contributions shed light on the priorities among individuals and organisations in this area and how the current system impacted upon them.
I wish to thank Mel Cousins & Associates who prepared this report. It serves as a valuable contribution to the Government’s development of a long-term framework for pensions. It reflects the complexity of the topic and the strong views that are held across the entirety of the pensions system.
Now that the consultation process is at an end, it is time for decisions to be made on how we develop our pensions system to meet the needs of an ageing population. In a more challenging economic environment, the delivery of a long term pensions framework remains a Government priority. That framework must be one which aims to ensure that our State pension system is affordable, fair and sustainable for both current pensioners and future generations. It must also support and encourage people to save enough to provide themselves with an adequate income in retirement. Our major challenge is to strike the right balance between all of these objectives.
Finally, I wish to thank all those who attended and contributed to the seminars, national conference and the many people who made submissions. The consultation process has been enlightening. The experience and expertise shared by people throughout the country has made it a great success.
Le gach dea ghuí,
Mary Hanafin TD, Minister for Social and Family Affairs
Introduction
Context for the Consultation process
The Government Green Paper on Pensions was published in October 2007. At that time a publicconsultation process was announced. The Minister for Social and Family Affairs stated:
“The essential purpose of this Paper is to promote debate and build consensus. Given the importance of the issue, I am anxious to ensure that the consultation process is as inclusive as possible and that people have ample time to study the Green Paper and to formulate their ideas. We need to consider the type of retirement we want and how we might pay for it. I am pleased that we are about to embark on that debate. I have an open mind on how the pensions system should develop in the future and I look forward to hearing the views of all interested parties on how we should proceed.”
Consultation seminars
As part of the consultation process, 6 regional consultation seminars were held in February and March 2008. The seminars gave people the opportunity to discuss the issues involved and to make their views known. The seminars were held in Cork, Dublin, Sligo, Tullamore and Waterford. A report on these seminars is set out in section 4 of this report. Finally an international seminar was held in Dublin with speakers from the OECD, World Bank, UK, New Zealand, Australia and Ireland. This seminar was attended by 140 persons from a wide range of interest groups. A report on this conference is set out in section 3 of this report.
Submissions
Submissions were received from 322 individuals and 62 organisations from all over Ireland. The organisational submissions came from the following categories of organisation:
- Community and voluntary organisations 24 (Including 4 individual pensioners associations)
- Pension industry bodies 15
- Trade unions and affiliated bodies 7
- Statutory bodies 5
- Employers and self‐employed bodies 3
- Other (e.g. academic commentators) 3
- Commercial bodies (other than pensions) 5
Total 62
The views outlined in these submissions are set out in section 2 of this report. Obviously, giventhe volume of submissions received it is only possible to highlight the main points made in individual and organisational submissions.2 However, all submissions are available for consultation on the Green Paper website:
http://www.pensionsgreenpaper.ie/consultation.html
In the course of the Green Paper process, a number of organisations commissioned or carried out research studies into aspects of pensions policy. Again, given the volume of the material received, it is not possible to make reference to these reports except insofar as the bodies making submissions specifically relied on them in their recommendations. Again, however, they can be consulted on the Green Paper website.
Terms of reference
The terms of reference for this report are ‘to prepare a report drawing together all three stages of the consultation process to inform the preparation of a long-term framework on pensions’.
In particular the report is to:
i) provide a comprehensive overview of the key issues identified in the written submissions (but should not provide opinion on the issues raised);
ii) provide a report of proceedings at the International Conference on 29th May 2008:including summaries of the opening address, presentations, responses to presentations and issues raised at the plenary; and
iii) draw together all three strands of the consultation process, including the report on the regional seminars into one overall report.