Pensions Reform

I know that some of those workers live in my hon. Friend’s constituency and that of my hon. Friend the Member for East Antrim (Sammy Wilson), who is also in his place. In the particular circumstances, the Irish Government have an enormous responsibility to do right by those workers. They worked for a company that was 51 per cent. owned by a sovereign Government of the European Union, but they have been treated despicably and deplorably. I would take the same line if the company had been part owned by the British Government, and I am not attempting to bash the Irish Government, but it is worth making the point that people are entitled to fair play, especially when a sovereign Government are involved in the management of the company. I recognise the contribution made by the financial assistance scheme, but it is vital that those workers, who are in a difficult situation through no fault of their own—they took the best advice, but their pension fund has an enormous shortfall—are properly compensated by the Government as speedily as possible. None of the workers is getting any younger and some have suffered ill-health as a result of their terrible situation, and I urge the Government to act as quickly as possible.