Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 15 September 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality

Recommendations of the Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed)

Dr. Helen Russell:

Yes, and one of our colleagues, Dr. Adele Whelan, came and talked to citizens at the assembly about the pension pay gap. It is obviously a big issue and mirrors those inequalities across people's careers because they will not be accumulating that wealth in later life either. The Senator is right about the subsidies as well. The analysis in that regard shows that the tax reliefs are regressive and the level of spending on them has been extensive. That has come down a good deal but it is not my area of expertise. Perhaps one of my other colleagues would like to come in on this point.