James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is not the fault of any of the witnesses and I am not going to give out about it but, in terms of being proactive and trying to find a solution for the future, it would be a good idea for the Department to engage in a national advertising on television and in newspapers to encourage people to ensure their affairs are in order, when they are in their 50s or early 60s, preparing for the next phase of life, and into retirement. The number of people affected by this issue is staggering. In particular, it may affect home makers who may have been in casual employment in the 1950s and 1960s and, in some cases, received poor financial advice along the road. Many of them had not consulted a pension specialist but then found out they are not entitled to the State pension. It is tragic to encounter those circumstances.