Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)

I refer to widows under 66 years. It has always astonished me that somebody who finds herself a widow at a young age, in particular if she has children, does not get secondary benefits. Secondary benefits would be a huge advantage. For most women or, indeed, men with two or three children who find themselves in this situation, child care is not an option nor is going out to work until the children are a little bit older. Secondary benefits in such cases would be a huge advantage.

Many people over 66 years retain the widow's pension rather than take up the old age pension. They get the secondary benefits at that stage but I cannot understand how we can differentiate in terms of age when the younger widow or widower would benefit most.

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