THE COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS’ Union (CWU) will be protesting outside the Dáil today over “unacceptable delays” for Ministerial approval for agreed pension increases for around 20,000 An Post and Eir pensioners.

Condemning the delay by the Minister for Communications, Patrick O’Donovan TD, the CWU said the increases to pensions at An Post and Eir have already been agreed by unions, trustees, actuaries and company boards.

In a statement, it said delaying the payments “shows an outrageous lack of respect and deepens the hardship of older people who must live on fixed incomes”.

It said the delays are now causing “real financial hardship for pensioners”, particularly for An Post workers who retired on health grounds.

The CWU said this has resulted in a two-and-a-half-year delay in pension payments which is affecting some of the “most vulnerable”, and would cost less than €10,000 per year to a fund valued at €3 billion.

It is calling on the Minister for Communication to approve the pension increases, and retrospectively apply the approved superannuation arrangements for those who retired on health grounds.

In a statement, CWU General Secretary, Seán McDonagh, said that the delays in approving and paying An Post and Eir pension increases “stands in stark contrast to the way public service pensions and the State pension are increased annually, and without any delay”.

He said retired Eir and An Post workers do not receive the State pension increases, and rely on agreed pension increases.

“There is no financial justification whatsoever for this delay. The pension schemes are private, well regulated, and in strong financial health and there is no cost to the Exchequer,” he said.

“Previous pension increases have been paid on every occasion, a position reinforced by recent High Court judgements. Yet despite the robust governance that is in place for these pension schemes, including independent actuarial oversight and established processes, pensioners are once again being subjected to needless bureaucratic delays with Minister O’Donovan’s office unable, or unwilling, to give any timeline for a decision on when his approval to pay these pension increases may be forthcoming.”

The Minister for Communications has been contacted for comment.