Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I apologise. The final point I will make relates to the homemaker’s credit. The current system is inadequate. Total contributions will not fully fix it because it only fixes it at pension age. I know there were discussions with the Department previously on the idea of a re-entry credit. If, for example, one were to allow contributions to be on an ongoing basis for people who were giving a period of care, those contributions might not reach a total of 520 at the end of their working life but a re-entry credit would, in effect, allow them to access activation services and link back into the system for the purposes of training, the back-to-education allowance and other such second-chance initiatives. The question is whether total contributions will be enough to identify the care gap. I apologise for exceeding my time but I had extensive questions. I have more to say but I will e-mail them to the Department if that is okay.