Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The maximum rate of contributory old age pension in this country is €238 per week compared with €175 in Northern Ireland. We heard a lot of guff this morning at the Joint Committee on Social Protection about lone parents and how certain parties were not looking after them and other parties are going to look after them. The rate of lone-parent allowance in this country is €188 per week, soon to rise to €193 as a result of this budget. The rate of lone-parent payment for a person over 18 years of age in Northern Ireland is €81 per week. The rate of payment for a person under 18 years of age is the princely sum of €65 per week.

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