Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

All right but I think I am parliamentary enough at this stage. The joint committee recognises that pension recipients deserve to have a feeling of stability and security about their incomes, and urges the introduction of some form of indexation of pension rates. Family carers, women who stayed at home to mind sick children, sick husbands or their in-laws are the hardest hit. It is a mean system.

I reserve some criticism also for Deputy O'Dea and his colleagues. They have provided the supply and confidence arrangement. They should have started somewhere. Charities got a mere €5 million. The Minister must start somewhere in order to rectify the situation.

The Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, referred to the system being "bonkers". Successive Governments - I was a member of one myself - have continued with this approach and it is being perpetrated on people who have contributed, who were homemakers, and who provided a good service to the State at a time before there was ever child care, crèches or free child care years. There are significant blocks.

What about the republic of opportunity? I said when the former Taoiseach, Liam Cosgrave, died that he was a man who looked after that long before our newest whizz kid on the block, the current Taoiseach, thought of the republic of opportunity. To hell or to Connaught with the women. It is a disgrace. I am meeting women and men, but mainly women, carers and many proud mothers who are €35 a week worse off, up to €100. Shame on this House for continuing to treat them in this way. I know we could not change it all overnight but surely we should attempt to rectify the situation. We talk about equality in many areas but this is the most glaring inequality affecting married women that we will ever see. It is a disgrace.

See this speech in context