Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)

To be blunt, is it not time to abolish the limitation rule and to boot out this antiquated social welfare system, which is predicated on male superiority and anathema to the constitutional position? Is it not time to ensure that women are treated equally in the social welfare system?

The people most victimised by the social welfare system are widows who lose their partners at a vulnerable time. The partner might have worked and contributed to the family income, as well as ensuring that the woman was entitled to a contributory widow's pension following the death of the partner. If the woman works, when she reaches the age of 66 insult is added to injury when her contributions are thrown in the bin. She is not allowed to get her old age pension and retain the widow's pension, which she is entitled to because her husband had paid his contributions until his death. Is it not time we got rid of the anomaly which means that a widow does not get her due entitlement?

Is it not time for a radical overhaul of a social welfare system which came into being in the 1920s, which virtually has not been updated since that time and which has treated women in particular as second class citizens and appendages of their partners?

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