Clarity is sought for recipients of English pensions after Brexit
DETAILS of the reciprocal arrangements for social insurance schemes between England, Ireland and the North and the impact a no-deal Brexit will have on them, were sought in the Dáil by Sinn Féin Deputy John Brady.
‘We are constantly informed by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection that it is carrying out a deep analysis of all possible scenarios on a schemeby-scheme basis,’ he said. ‘The Minister, Deputy Regina Doherty, has committed to sharing the analysis at the appropriate time. For the 120,000 people living in Ireland who are in receipt of English pensions, the appropriate time is long past. When will the analysis be shared and could we have a timeframe for it?’
In reply, the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty said a convention was agreed between herself and the then Minister, Esther McVey, in April of last year. ‘That convention was subsequently reaffirmed by me and the new Minister, Amber Rudd, when she took over in December,’ she said. ‘It will be signed later this week. The convention will ensure a double lock in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The heads of the Bill for which I am responsible were published and will be presented to the House on February 22.’