Review of Construction Federation Operatives Pension Scheme

Wednesday 28 September 2005: The Pensions Board was approached by SIPTU in relation to issues of concern to them in relation to the operation of the Construction Federation Operatives Pension Scheme (CFOPS). These issues related to perceived non-compliance on the part of some employers in the construction industry with regard to their obligations under the relevant Registered Agreement to register their employees as members of the CFOPS and to pay over the contributions due to the scheme in respect of their employees. Responsibility for various aspects of the scheme is distributed across a number of bodies with no single entity having overall responsibility for compliance enforcement. In these circumstances, the Pensions Board as the statutory regulator of occupational pension schemes agreed to arrange for a review of certain compliance aspects of the scheme. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment also agreed to be a co-sponsor of this review.

A copy of the Terms of Reference is contained in the CFOPS Report. After due tendering process Mercer Human Resource Consulting were appointed to complete the Report and the process was overseen by a Steering Committee consisting of representatives of the Pensions Board, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Department of Social and Family Affairs, Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Construction Industry Federation.

The Report has been sent to the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Minister for Finance as the Report contains a number of substantial recommendations which relate to other Government departments, agencies and bodies and these are outside the Boards scope and influence. The Pensions Board will continue to carry out the monitoring and enforcement role which it has in relation to the CFOPS.

A copy of the Review of Construction Federation Operatives Pensions Scheme on behalf of The Pensions Board and The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is attached.