Taoiseach: Waterford Crystal redress is 'complex'
An Taoiseach Micheál Martin addresses Waterford Crystal pensions issue, as protestors gathered at the site of the new Glassworks quarter in Waterford.
On what was framed as a historic day for the future of Waterford with the opening of the SETU Glassworks building on the old site of Waterford Crystal, ghosts of the past still came out to play.
As Taoiseach Micheál Martin pulled into the site in a blacked-out Audi A6, he was met by roughly 30 protestors from the Waterford Crystal Pensions Action Group (WCPAG).
The workers have campaigned for state redress following their redundancy in the early 1990s, in which workers claim they were not presented with adequate information on their redundancy options.
“Former location of the great pension robbery,” read one sign. “Careful now! Skullduggerry about!” read another.
A review of the situation by the Government Attorney General in 2024 advised then Taoiseach Simon Harris that there was no case for state involvement, given the debacle related to the machinations of a private company.
Members of WCPAG now argue that the state failed to protect affected workers under the 1990 Pensions Act.
Speaking to the Waterford News & Star, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that the situation with the workers was “fairly complex”.
“The state did everything it could have back at the time… I know this has gone to the ombudsman for pensions,” said the Taoiseach.
“It's gone through various examinations, the Attorney General and so on like that.
“I appreciate the issue, and I have to examine it again, but it's basically…the issue falls to the Irish pension trust.
“At the time there were agreements reached and everything else… we've been focused on investment and development here as much as we possibly can to try and create new industries and new alternatives for people.”
As Micheál Martin's driver escorted the Taoiseach towards the exit of the Glassworks site following his remarks at the launch event, the former Crystal workers were waiting for him, hoping to hand him a letter which outlined their position on the matter.
The Taoiseach did not engage or acknowledge the workers.
Speaking to the Waterford News & Star after the protest, former master glassblower at Waterford Crystal, Walter Croke, told us that the group were “stonewalled” by the Taoiseach and government officials who were present on the day.
“We were not approached by any of the Ministers,” he said.
“We had a peaceful protest outside the grounds of the old Waterford Crystal office block, we didn’t interfere with anybody and asked for permission from security and gardaí to deliver a letter to the Taoiseach.
“The Taoiseach drove past us and did not engage with us. It’s an extension of the stonewalling that has been highlighted over the last number of weeks.”
Further protest action is being planned by the group in the near future, the workers say.
The protests come on the back of comments made last week by the Minister for Social Protection, Dara Calleary, who has turned down a meeting with the former workers of Waterford Crystal.
Raising the matter in the Dáil last week was Deputy David Cullinane and Deputy Conor McGuinness.
Minister Calleary told the Deputies, “The Attorney General has advised that there is no basis on which the state could be obliged to compensate the members concerned or otherwise intervene.
"I genuinely feel on this occasion that a meeting would be unfair because it may create an expectation that I cannot meet.
"The Attorney General's advice is very clear; there is nothing further that can be done as of now in this case."
We asked Minister Mary Butler for her reaction to these comments whilst outside the launch of the Glassworks building on Monday.
She said in light of Minister Calleary's comments, identifying a path forward will be difficult.
“I really don’t know where we can find a path forward at this stage because the Attorney General's advice is not going to change," Minister Butler said.
Minister John Cummins also spoke to the media on the issue at the launch event.
He said, “I totally appreciate the strength of feeling that is there on this issue. I will continue to engage with the workers. They are exploring a number of options through legals and through Europe and I have no problem continuing to engage with them on that.”
Whilst at the launch, Minister Butler addressed the workers’ hopes of having official Dáil records corrected, which comes after she received incorrect information in response to a parliamentary question she submitted to then Minister for Social Protection Regina Doherty in 2017.
“If somebody is going to correct the record, it’s the person who has signed off on the particular answer, so there’s no opportunity for me to have that corrected,” Minister Butler said.
“We enquired to know was there an avenue to have the record corrected, but because the Minister at that time is no longer a member of the Dáil, she’s not in a position to correct the records.”
Mr Croke asserted, however, that the Waterford Crystal Pension Action Group will not be giving up.
“We are not going away. We intend to fight this as we have done for the last 35 years, because we know we never got the option forms.”
The group are asking for an immediate end of what they describe as “non-engagement” from Government, and for a direct meeting with the Minister for Social Protection.
