Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have various possible costings and projections but I would have to know exactly which anomaly the Deputy is referring to because there are a number of things that people describe as anomalies in the pension system. With regard to partnerships, unless I misunderstand Deputy Durkan, it is not a case of proving whether a partnership existed, it is a question of proving that somebody made PRSI contributions. Since PRSI was introduced 30 or 40 years ago, people have had to make contributions in order to get contributory pensions. If one did not make PRSI contributions, one does not get a contributory pension. That is the way it has always worked. PRSI is paid into the social insurance fund and out of that comes the State contributory pension. The test is whether a person can establish that he or she made PRSI contributions. If a person was not making PRSI contributions and was not paying tax, it is difficult to see how that individual would be entitled to a contributory pension. Such a person might be entitled to apply for a non-contributory State pension but a means test would apply.

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