Mr. Tim Duggan:

It is a contributory system. The State already has an income support for people who fall out of the band and have an income need. There is a non-contributory pension for people who have an income need but do not have sufficient contributions to get on the contributory pension ladder. It is a two-tier system that we have developed for the State pension such that income need is always dealt with regardless of the particular circumstances or contingencies that people have to deal with.