Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As regards moving to a total contribution system, there would be winners and losers but it depends on where one sets the bar. Let us presume, for example, that the Minister for Social Protection said he was going to introduce a new system based on total contributions of an average working lifetime of 40 years at 52 contributions per annum. In a situation like that there would be a hell of a lot of losers and our clinics would be very well attended. We have to be careful in that respect. I take the point that Deputy Mitchell and others have made about care, but I could see a situation where, for a change, men would lose out more than women in a total contribution system.

Mr. Moran made an interesting point about people being able to put off receipt of their pensions in the event of the legislation ending mandatory retirement coming into effect. Will the Chairman contact the relevant authorities to see where we are with that legislation, which is pretty central to this matter? The Bill is not being opposed by the Government, so we just want to see what stage it is at now and if the money question has been sorted out.

As I understand it at the moment, if somebody reaches pension age and is entitled to a contributory old age pension, but continues working, they are still entitled to get their pension. As I interpret it, Mr. Moran is suggesting a sort of trade off. We would have a new system whereby if they were working, they would not get their pension. In compensation for that, people below the age of 66 who are working in certain occupations like the construction industry, might be able to balance one off against the other. That is a very good idea and we should examine it closely. I thank Mr. Moran for his presentation which was very informative.