Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Tom Fleming is always there to welcome them. Just 50% of people in employment have an occupational or supplementary pension, and only 41% in the private sector, despite all the efforts over the years to promote the importance of retirement savings to make life more comfortable in retirement. Given that the voluntary approach has not worked, in the statement of priorities after I became Tánaiste, the Taoiseach and I confirmed that the Government will agree a road-map and time-line for the introduction of a new, universal supplementary pension savings scheme. We have established a high-level, universal retirement savings group, chaired by my Department, which includes international expertise. Countries such as Australia, New Zealand and the UK have introduced supplementary pension saving schemes. We are doing the work to set out how the scheme would work.

Deputies mentioned carers of older people, children and adults with an illness or disability. Carers do an unbelievable amount of work and help people live in dignity and independence in their own homes and communities for as long as possible, which is what everybody wants for themselves and for as many people as possible. Carers are vital to the achievement of this objective. Every day, parents, partners, children, friends and neighbours provide care for people who, through a variety of circumstances, need it. Their work makes a profound difference to the health, well-being and quality of life of the people for whom they care. It also makes an important, often unacknowledged contribution to the economy.

We published the National Carers’ Strategy in 2012 and, in acknowledging the contribution that carers make, the Government provides a range of income supports including carer's allowance, carer's benefit, domiciliary care allowance for children who need care and the respite care grant. This year, it will cost us more than €822 million in social welfare payments. In 2004, only 23,000 people were in receipt of the carer's allowance. By last May, it had grown to 57,200 people. There has been a major increase in the number of people in receipt of the carer’s allowance or the half rate carer’s allowance. Nearly 25,000 of the people in receipt of carer’s allowance are at a half rate because they are in receipt of another social welfare payment. For example, a lone parent who is caring for one child on a full-time basis would receive €219.80 in one parent family payment and an extra €102 per week in a half rate carer’s allowance payment if he or she were caring for somebody.

Recipients of carer's allowance also qualify for free travel and, if they are living with the person they are caring for, the household benefits package. The respite care grant is an annual non-means-tested payment made to carers by the Department. Full-time carers who are not in receipt of a carer’s payment from the Department are also entitled to the respite care grant.

Approximately 24,000 people over the age of 60 are in receipt of the invalidity pension. These are people who typically worked all their lives but are now unable to do so due to a long-term illness or disability, and who have been medically certified as being permanently incapable of taking up employment again. The invalidity pension is an important safety net, acting as a support if people find themselves in the unfortunate position of not being able to continue in employment for health reasons, up to the age State pension is payable. In addition to the pension, recipients of invalidity pensions are also entitled to free travel and may qualify for gas, electricity and fuel allowances.

Staff in my Department and the Intreo offices are ready to help, as are the information services we fund through the Citizens Information Board. The staff of my Department are committed to providing the best quality service we can to older people. We fund all the community employment schemes and community services programmes around the country. The Deputies here from the north inner city of Dublin and from Kerry know that every area of the State has community centres with community employment schemes funded by the Department which provide day services. People might meet friends, play a few games of 25 or such like and have lunch or other meals. This cuts across the social isolation whereby people, particularly in rural areas, but also in cities, can lose contact with their network of friends as they become older.

I am very happy to support the motion and take it as a mark of the common concern everybody in Irish politics has to ensure that as far as possible we try to make life better all the time for older people, and that as we build an economic recovery, they share very importantly in a social recovery and in security, so that they have a solid future to which they can look forward, particularly living independently for as long as possible.

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