The Gazette 1996

GAZETTE

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1996

N E WS

Association of Pension Lawyers in Ireland Pensions Law Conference Blackhall Place, Dublin - 25/26 April 1996

T h e A P L I h e l d its f i r st P e n s i o ns L a w C o n f e r e n c e in B l a c k h a ll P l a c e o n 2 5 / 2 6 A p r i l. T h e C o n f e r e n c e w a s a t r e m e n d o us s u c c e ss o r g a n i s ed by Martin O'Callaghan, Irish Life ( C h a i r ), Una Tighe, B a n k of I r e l a n d, Peter Fahy, McCa nn FitzGerald, Michael Wolfe, William Fry and Vivienne Kane, Ca n a da Life. The M i n i s t e r f o r S o c i al W e l f a r e, de Rossa, TD, launched the c o n f e r e n c e at a c o c k t a il r e c e p t i on hosted by Michael Lane of New I r e l a nd A s s u r a n c e C o . p i c. D u r i n g h is o p e n i n g a d d r e ss t he M i n i s t er s t r e s s ed t h at "I b e l i e ve t h at t he i s s ue of a c c e ss t o o c c u p a t i o n al p e n s i o ns f o r all p a r t- t i m e a n d a t y p i c al w o r k e r s n e e d s to b e a d d r e s s ed n o w , n ot j u s t f o r p e o p l e w h o a re d i s c r i m i n a t ed a g a i n st o n t he g r o u n d s of s e x " . T h i s p a r t i c u l ar t h e m e w a s , in f a c t, picked up by Dr. Mary Redmond, s o l i c i t o r, in h e r p a p e r " A c c e s s to P e n s i o n S c h e m e s - T h e N a t i o n al a n d E u r o p e a n P e r s p e c t i ve f o r A t y p i c al W o r k e r s " . T h e l a r ge a t t e n d a n ce at t he c o n f e r e n c e i n c l u d ed b o t h b a r r i s t e rs a n d s o l i c i t o r s, m e m b e r s of t he A s s o c i a t i o n, t o g e t h er w i t h v i s i t i ng l a w y e r s f r o m t he A s s o c i a t i on of P e n s i o n L a w y e r s in t he U n i t e d K i n g d o m a n d m e m b e r s of t he F a m i l y L a w y e r s A s s o c i a t i o n. T h e F a m i l y L a w y e r s A s s o c i a t i o n 's i n t e r e st in p e n s i o n s s t e m m e d f r o m t he F a m i l y L a w A c t 1 9 95 a n d t h e i n c l u s i on in t h e c o n f e r e n ce p r o g r a m m e of a p a p e r g i v e n b y Muriel Walls of M c C a n n F i t z G e r a ld o n " P e n s i o n s a n d D i v o r c e - T h e F a m i l y L a w y e r ' s F o c u s " . T h e C h a i r p e r s on of t h e P e n s i o ns Board, Eamonn Heffernan, gave an o v e r v i e w o n t h e P e n s i o ns A c t 1 9 9 0. I n t e r e s t i ng p a p e r s w e r e d e l i v e r ed o n t h e " w h i s t le b l o w i n g " p r o v i s i o ns of t h e P e n s i o n s A m e n d m e n t Bill 1 9 95 a n d t h e P e n s i o ns A c t 1 9 95 ( U K ) . T h e f o r m e r p a p e r w a s g i v e n b y Patrick Prionsias

Pictured at the APLI conference were: (foreground) Martin O'Callaghan, Irish Life (Chair); l-r: Vivienne Kane, Solicitor; Michael Wolfe, William Fry; Peter Fahy, McCann FitzCerald and Una Tighe, Bank of Ireland.

Hunt, B L a n d a p a r t n er f r o m S a c k e r & Partners, London, Mark Greenlees g a v e us t h e U K p e r s p e c t i v e. T h e s e c u r i ty of p e n s i on f u n d a s s e ts w a s addressed by Michael Wolfe of W i l l i a m F ry w h o s e t o p ic w a s " W h o G u a r d s t he G u a r d i a n s; C o n t r ol of t h e A c c o u n t a b i l i ty f o r P e n s i o n F u n d A s s e t s ". T h e c h a l l e n ge f o r t h e f u t u r e f o r l a w y e r s in p e n s i o n s l aw a n d e m p l o y e e b e n e f i t s g e n e r a l ly w a s g i v e n in a t h o u g h t - p r o v o k i ng a d d r e ss b y Brian Duncan, F I A , C h i e f E x e c u t i v e, V H I . T h i s p a p e r e n t i t l ed " T h e E x p a n d i n g S c o p e of E m p l o y e e B e n e f i ts i n to t he N e w M i l l e n n i um - a c h a l l e n ge to t he L e g a l P r o f e s s i o n" p ut d o w n m a n y m a r k e r s f o r t he f u t u r e e x a m i n a t i on of t o p i c s f o r t he A s s o c i a t i o n. M r . D u n c a n a l s o q u e s t i o n ed w h e t h e r a p e n s i o n s o m b u d s m a n w a s n e e d e d a n d c h a l l e n g ed t h e l e g al p r o f e s s i on to i m p r o v e o n t h e ir c o m m u n i c a t i o ns to c l i e n ts in g e n e r a l.

m o r n i n g s e s s i on of t he c o n f e r e n c e. T h e a f t e r n o on s e s s i on w a s c h a i r ed b y James Nugent, SC, Chairman of the B a r C o u n c i l. W h i l e , o b v i o u s l y, c o n f e r e n c es a r e all a b o u t l e a r n i ng t h e r e is a l s o a s o c i al s i de a n d t he G a l a D i n n e r w a s a m a g n i f i c e nt a f f a i r u n d e r t he e x p e rt direction of Aine Ryan, Catering M a n a g e r of t he L a w S o c i e t y. W h i l e p e n s i o n l a w y e rs w o r k h a r d w e a l s o p l a y h a r d a n d t he " o p t i o n al e x t r a s " a f t e r t he G a l a D i n n e r w e r e in f a c t p u r s u e d by a l a r ge n u m b e r of t h e a t t e n d e es w h o s u b s e q u e n t ly h e a d e d o f f to t h e u s u al w a t e r i ng h o l e s a r o u n d St. S t e p h e n ' s G r e e n a n d L e e s o n S t r e et to f i n i sh o f f i n to t he e a r ly h o u r s of t he m o r n i n g ! A w o n d e r f ul c o n f e r e n ce a n d a m a r v e l l o us t r i b u te to t he C o n f e r e n ce C o m m i t t e e . Raymonde Kelly, Chairman, Association of Pension Lawyers in Ireland

Terence

W e w e r e d e l i g h t ed t h at

McCrann, C o u n c il M e m b e r of t he L a w S o c i e ty of I r e l a nd c h a i r ed t he

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