Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister, the Minister of State and their officials for attending. The work of the Pensions Commission is obviously very important. It has made a recommendation on the abolition of mandatory retirement. Will the Minister introduce legislation in that regard?

I agree with Deputy Ó Cuív's comments on the means test and the €20,000 amount really needs to change. We saw welcome changes in the fuel allowance whereby the first €50,000 in savings will now be disregarded in the context of the means test. We need to look at that when it comes to the State pension non-contributory, especially when household means are taken into account. Some people are saving for their funerals and some of them are saving for the possibility of one of them having to go into care. This applies to older couples in particular. They are really being impacted by the existing €20,000 rule for the means test. I welcome the Minister's commitment to look at that.