Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

For example, over 600,000 people in the private sector do not have any pension whatsoever. We were promised that we would see a one for one scheme. Indeed I believe the Green Party was the first to advocate having such a scheme to help the lowest paid people invest in pensions for their retirement so that they would not be solely dependent on social welfare pensions and would not be plunged into poverty in their old age. Nothing is being done about that. We have had two huge reports, no doubt at huge cost, and nothing is being done to address the needs of those with no pension cover.

I suppose that even during straitened times, families would have looked for some support to cope. What do they find? The sum total of €1.38 per week is offered as extra child benefit at a time when the price of all the basic food items — bread, butter, milk and eggs — is increasing by 15% or 16%. What Minister could say that a child could be supported with an extra €1.38 per week in such a climate of rising costs?

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