Fianna Fáil calls on Government to publish pension report
Fianna Fáil has criticised the Government for failing to publish the report on the pension system.
The party’s Spokesperson on Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Willie O’Dea TD has said that the delay in publishing the report, agreed to during the passage of last year’s Social Welfare Bill has stifled progress in the area of pension inequality.
Deputy O’Dea added: “It is imperative that this report is made available as soon as possible. The current nature of the pension system is inequitable and the changes introduced in 2012 made it more difficult to access the full rate of the State Contributory pension.
“This has caused a great deal of stress and financial hardship for many older people and for women in particular.
“Whilst I am aware that there are plans to move from an averaging approach to a total contributions approach by 2020, thousands of people continue to lose out on a weekly basis.
“This fundamental and growing problem is the reason why I, and my party, brought forward a motion last week in the Dáil on correcting pension inequities. It is imperative that where possible anomalies in the system are found that they are addressed.
“Many older people have no other income in retirement and are solely reliant on the State Contributory Pension.
The band changes introduced in 2012 saw some lose as much as €30 per week and this is a considerable sum of money, particularly for those on a fixed income, leaving many struggling to make ends meet.”
