Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his reply. There are several issues which slipped through the net but which we have discussed in the past. There is a question about the methodology of the calculation of an entitlement to a contributory pension. It is meant to be over the years within which a person worked, starting from the beginning to the conclusion. Take the case of people who may have worked for five years at the beginning of their working life, took a gap of 15 years and went back to work afterwards. Often, they may have actually worked longer than some of those who qualify for a full pension. However, by virtue of the methodology in the calculation, they find themselves having a reduced pension or, in some cases, a very much reduced pension, depending on the extent to which they have had contributions.

Another issue relates to the business sector. Take the case of a shopkeeper. Under the 1998 Act, the shopkeeper would have been eligible to make contributions and entitlement would have followed to a contributory pension. However, the partner in the business, say the spouse, in many cases is refused on the basis that he or she could not prove a partnership.

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There are two categories that need to be looked at very carefully.

The final point relates to the marriage bar. We know the situation in respect of people affected by the latter. It should be noted that many of those public servants got refunds of contributions when they married and withdrew the public service and that this ended their entitlement to anything.

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