Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

In the case of the contributory pension, it is a matter of the income of the person's spouse or partner. It is means tested and I have no proposals to change this. The changes to pension age were broadly set out in the financial framework of 2011 which followed a Green Paper and a paper on pensions launched by the Department in 2007 and 2010. They were broadly agreed to by everyone and, subsequently, when the country entered into difficulties, it was one of the items agreed to in the financial framework in 2011. This was indicated in the information given to the IMF at the time. Recognising the cost of pensions in Ireland and other countries and making sure over a period of time that we provide for pensions is absolutely fundamental in ensuring sustainable finances from a market point of view. The changes in Ireland were widely welcomed and acknowledged by observers of the economy in terms of its rating.