Kate O'Connell (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On the pension issue, personally, I would consider the direction of money accruing from the universal social charge to the pensions area to be a good idea. Professor Barrett said earlier that this would negate the need for tax incentives for pensions. In that regard, is he suggesting that a limit be imposed on how much money people can save in their pensions? Ordinarily, people in the private sector put sufficient money into their pensions to cater for their needs as they get older. Is Professor Barrett suggesting that everybody should get the same pension such that there is no incentive for people to save additional money? It may be that Professor Barrett was only speaking off the cuff and has not developed the idea, but perhaps he would elaborate on it, including how it might work in terms of the public sector pension levy.