Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am glad the work of the House was not interrupted this week, which would have curtailed our debate on this important Bill. Fianna Fáil is happy to support the proposals contained in it as a step in the right direction towards our aim of creating a fairer Ireland for all, something to which my party has always aspired and always will aspire. We are proud of the role we played in securing the €5 increase in the State pension, in particular, as well as the increases in other weekly payments and the qualified child payment. We welcome, too, the extension of maternity benefit and leave in cases of premature birth. I hope it will give some comfort to parents who find themselves in that very difficult situation.

The major deficiency in the Bill, as referred to by my colleague, is that it does not address the issue of pension inequality, which is having a devastating effect on older people, especially older women. While we are having this discussion, some of the women concerned are gathered outside these buildings to protest against a system that absolutely disadvantages those among them who took time out of the workforce to engage in childminding duties or care for elderly parents. I look forward to joining them as soon as I have finished my contribution. Financial hardship in retirement has become a real problem for women because of the way the current system is structured. A 2012 study by the European Institute for Gender Equality found that the pension pay gap between men and women amounted to almost €700 a month. In fact, only 16% of women in this country receive the full State pension. I have repeatedly raised this matter in the House, having heard from so many women in Kildare South who are distraught to learn on reaching retirement age that they are not entitled to a full pension. It is very difficult for people who have been looking forward to a secure retirement to discover that they will, in fact, be facing into financial hardship.

The changes introduced in 2012 must be reversed immediately. The 36,000 people affected by the new system cannot wait until 2020 for the matter to be resolved, but we are still waiting for the report on this issue promised by the Minister. The inequity of the gendered pension system must be addressed without delay. Patrick Kavanagh, whose 50th anniversary we marked recently, got it right when a character in one of his novels observed: "Women ... never have got full credit for their bravery. They sacrifice everything to life." We need to move towards a universal pension system which will give men and women equal access to a comprehensive pension guarantee that will provide a decent standard of living for all.

Other than the €5 increase in all welfare payments, there is little good news in the Bill for those with a disability. There was an excellent presentation today in the Leinster House audio-visual room on what the census data told us about of the lives of people with disabilities. Their numbers are growing, as are the levels of supports needed. The large number of people with disabilities who cannot access education or employment and are totally reliant on the State is a clear indication that we need to do more to assist them. The Government, however, has failed to introduce a cost of disability top-up payment to address the additional costs faced by those with a disability, leaving the disability community feeling they have, once again, been ignored and sidelined. The at-risk poverty rate for people not at work owing to illness or disability was 34.8% in 2015, compared to 25.2% in 2014. That is a very worrying statistic. In October the Taoiseach acknowledged the many shortcomings and problems in the funding of disability services and indicated that spending priorities for disability services would have to form part of the budget and Estimates process. He expressed confidence that additional funding for disability services would be found next year. The 643,000 people with disabilities and their families need and deserve clarity on what the additional funding will be and how it will be found. It is time for action instead of rhetoric.

The Government has yet to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with a Disability, despite having signed up to it in 2007. This is now the only country in Europe in which ratification of the convention remains outstanding. That should be a source of shame in this Chamber.

I am happy to support the Bill before us, while recognising that it represents only minor progress on the path to justice and equality for all groups on the island. If real opportunity is to be offered to all citizens, investment must be targeted at those who have been left behind and marginalised in the past. We cannot let that inequity continue.

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