Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is incredibly and totally farcical that Fianna Fáil has brought this motion before the House just a mere ten days after it signed off on budget 2018 with its coalition partners, Fine Gael. Where were Fianna Fáil’s concerns when negotiations were ongoing or, indeed, in the run-up to the 2017 budget? Where was Fianna Fáil then? We on this side of the House cannot help but wonder if this was an agreed publicity stunt between the two conservative parties that are running the country and hoping to swap partners and continue to run it after the general election. The Minister for Finance called the situation "bonkers" on air and then Fianna Fáil came to the rescue with a motion that will surely pass in the Dáil. Of course, Fianna Fáil also supported all of the economic decisions of the last austerity Government.

The Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar, tried to muddy the waters this morning by claiming the Opposition did not understand that restoration of the pre-2012 social insurance bands would still not give all women a full pension but, of course, we do understand precisely. The Taoiseach has spoken about universal pensions. The ESRI made proposals to merge PRSI and the universal social charge and give everybody a decent pension. These are welcome. We know that since late 2011 in this House, the Government and the previous Government have hugely disadvantaged that cohort of women and some men now in their 50s and 60s. Professor Alan Barrett of the ESRI summed up the current and last Governments' disgraceful actions by stating they changed the rules in the middle of the game for that most vulnerable generation of women workers.

My colleagues have explained the impact of the change from the four bands to the six bands. Under the new system, those with an average of 20 to 29 contributions now receive just 85% of the maximum. We Deputies meet a lot of these women, week in, week out, and we know a very serious injustice has been done to them.

Those with an average of 15 to 19 contributions per year are down to 65% of the maximum and those in the bottom band, with an average of ten to 14 contributions per year, who spent a lot of their lives doing caring duties, are just receiving 40%.

Where was Fianna Fáil's concern on 9 February this year when Age Action Ireland published its report, Towards a Fair State Pension for Women Pensioners, by Ms Maureen Bassett? Shortly afterwards, on 21 February, I raised the matter on Leaders' Questions with the then Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, and he informed me he would refer it to the Committee on Budgetary Oversight for consideration and that Ministers would reflect. Ministers reflected and did nothing. The committee, unfortunately, did nothing either, and we are still left in the same situation.

The motion is of great importance and I welcome reports that it will be passed by the House. I hope it will not be just empty rhetoric. Despite the comments of those who voted year in, year out for the budgets of the previous Government, I hope this measure will bring forward a restoration for the citizens - particularly women - this Government and that which preceded it treated so disgracefully.

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