Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There is one issue that keeps hitting me. Perhaps because of my age, people my age come to me. the issue is the means test for the State pension. The biggest group of people who are on non-contributory pensions are those who have small farms, and small fishermen or inshore fishermen. The amazing thing at the moment is that the total income of small fishermen and small farmers is assessed and then €30 is disregarded. However, people who earn €200 per week in a PAYE job can put it in their bank and there is no means test on it. For non-contributory pensioners, self-employed income from farming, fishing or good luck to carpenters as well, should be treated in exactly the same way as employed income and the first €200 should be disregarded, end of story. It would save a lot of money for the Department, because it would not have to means-test all these pensioners over little bits of money. I would be interested in the views of the witnesses. Would any of them be opposed to such a change? I will put it that way to save them the bother of giving me a long answer. Do they think self-employed income should always be treated in the same way as employed income in means tests?