Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is probably correct in saying that when the changes were introduced in 2012 their impact was probably known. I would go further than that. The authors of the pensions report from 2010 knew what the impact would be on particular women. It was an issue that was known on paper but which probably did not manifest itself fully until the women started to come to the office of Deputy Niamh Smyth, to my office and that of Deputy John Brady.

I cannot be as ambitious as Deputy Brady because in order to fix this in the Social Welfare Bill next week, we collectively need to find tens of millions of euro. There was no spare change in Sinn Féin's alternative budget or in anyone else's budget in this House to allow us to include it in this year's Social Welfare Bill. I cannot give a commitment that we will fix this next week or the week after until I know the scale of the problem. However, I can give a commitment that, whatever the scale of the problem, we will fix it. If I cannot do it in this year's budget - and to be very honest, I cannot see how I can - then we will be talking about it in the parameters of next year's budget. We are going to fix it but I will make it the responsibility of everybody in this House to help to fix it and not to use it as an issue. We have already had the debate about whose fault it is, why we cannot fix it now and so on. We need to speak clearly, respectfully and honestly to the people at home who are listening about the fact that this is not a case of just finding a few bob. A sizeable amount of money needs to be found to fix this anomaly and I am not sure that such an amount is just sitting around with no earmark on it. That said, I am going to fix it and will need the help of everybody in this House to make sure it remains a priority. I look forward to hearing Deputy Brady's response to the review next week and to hearing how he thinks we can fix this.

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