Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

What is intriguing is that the requirement to apply within six months does not apply to any other public service pension. If a person other than a Minister were to apply for a pension after the initial six month period, he or she would not be disbarred from receiving the pension back to the date of entitlement. For some reason it was felt in previous legislation that we should be treated differently, but we should be treated the same as everybody else. That requirement will no longer exist. There was somebody who failed to apply in time.

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