Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I also want to raise the way in which budget 2018 perpetuates the discrimination faced by many, but particularly by women, when it comes to the State pension. As has been said, 35,000 people have been left with a lesser pension payment than they would have received had they retired before 2012. As the Tánaiste knows, this is the result of measures introduced by the Fine Gael-Labour Party Government, which changed eligibility criteria. Deputy Burton's decision made it more difficult for those without an unbroken, full-time, long-term work history to qualify for the maximum payment. The changes to the bands in addition to the averaging rule regarding PRSI contributions were completely unfair and have had an absolutely disproportionate impact on women, many of whom left the workforce to raise children or to care for their families. Some people are down by as much as €30 a week and, astonishingly, almost 25% of women on a State pension are losing out to this extent.

Some talk about this situation as though it were a mistake, oversight or oddity but it was not an oversight. The 2012 changes were implemented in the full knowledge of their impact on women. It was not a mistake. The Government knew it was going to put thousands of women in this position. It was a conscious decision. The current Government continues to make decisions against the welfare of these women. The Minister, Deputy Donohoe, has described the situation as bonkers and unbelievable. What is really bonkers and unbelievable is that he drafted and announced a budget on Tuesday that does absolutely nothing to rectify this matter. I suppose that comes as no surprise. This Government and its friends in Fianna Fáil have form in preventing a just rectification of this problem. The Tánaiste may recall that last December, Sinn Féin put forward a motion to try to address this issue. We attempted to address the pension inequality against women by reversing the changes introduced by Deputy Burton in 2012. I remind Members that the motion was rejected by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.

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