Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I suppose the fundamental point is that there has been unfairness in the system for decades. In many cases, these individuals, who are primarily women, were completely unaware that they were going to find themselves in this position later in life when they needed State support. They probably removed the need for significant amounts of investment by the Exchequer because they stayed at home and reared their children.