Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)

I wish we had enough time to debate this properly. This means people must work much longer in this category to qualify for the contributory pension. If they do not have sufficient years paid in contributions, they must rely on the State non-contributory pension, a lesser pension that is means tested. That is an attack on a particular group and the pension entitlements they might have reasonably hoped to have. Was it not one of the justifications for not inflicting far more deserved cuts in the pensions of politicians and Ministers and former taoisigh, who walked off with massive pensions of €145,000, that we had to be careful because they had a reasonable expectation they would have these pensions while they were working? Would this category of people not have a reasonable expectation that they would qualify for the contributory pension, which is a better pension that is not means tested? It is another nasty cut at a group who should not be cut.

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