Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank Age Action for attending and making an opening statement. I also thank it for its continued great work in representing our older citizens. It has asked our committee to make pension reform a priority, and we all agree with it that pension reform is needed.

I will touch on a number of basic points. These changes, including to the pension bands, form one of the main issues about which constituents contact me. Over 65s have been placed on the transitional pension and people are being forced to take up jobseeker's allowance. Everyone at this meeting is singing from the same hymn sheet. I commend Age Action's report, which shows the real impact of the 2012 cuts on our older people.

We need to close the gender pension gap, which came about as a result of previous cuts. We must have a full recognition of caring roles in the home maker's scheme and a fair calculation of PRSI contributions as regards the State pension.

I will ask a few questions about the State pension. We must protect it regardless of the introduction of a mandatory, second-tier pension system.

How do the witnesses envisage that we can sustain the State pension? How do they think we can protect it while we create this second tier mandatory pension? Do they have any figure in mind for the increase in employers' PRSI? I would be grateful if they could answer those questions.