Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Somebody briefed theIrish Independentwith specifics. Numbers were adduced in the article that the average public servant would lose €100,000 over the duration of his or her pension, and that was Government policy. Would the Taoiseach affirm or reject whether that is the case? Many public servants, in particular those who are approaching retirement in the coming years, are desperately anxious.

The Taoiseach will recall that when reductions to pay were made there was a fear that people would advance their retirement. We wondered what would happen with nurses, gardaí and others. In order to give confidence to people that the pensions into which they have paid for 25, 30, 35, 40 years or more will be preserved and paid as contracted by the State, will the Taoiseach confirm the accuracy of the newspaper article or disown it?

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