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

First, I am very glad that Deputy Brady does not want to argue with me because this is only January but we are not disagreeing with each other. He might think that the changes in the whole should not have been brought in but the changes that happened in 2012 did not only affect 42,000 people, they affected hundreds of thousands of people. Except for the 42,000 people who were maligned by the averaging system because of the length of their service, all of the other thousands of people who have been affected by the changes do not have the same view that the Deputy would have. I acknowledge that a disservice was done to those people through the averaging system. That was wrong. It is not fair that somebody would have a length of contribution of service to the country and receive less of a pension than somebody who has a small contribution service history to the country. I acknowledge that today, I acknowledged it months ago and I also acknowledged months ago that I will fix it, and I will fix it. I am sorry the Deputy is dying for information on this, as I know everybody else is, but I am not in a position to give him something that I have not put to both the Cabinet sub-committee and the Cabinet committee next Tuesday until they have seen it. Otherwise, why do we have these committees unless we are going to use the protocols of getting what I need to get through them?

I believe Deputy O'Dea is well aware, as I have said previously, that regardless of whatever is accepted or not accepted, this will involve new money. It is not that there is a pot of money sitting in the Department somewhere that can resolve this. It did not form part of the negotiations of the social welfare budget for this year. The Deputy is well aware of that, as am I. Therefore, I will be seeking new money and that new money does not exist today. I am grateful for the Deputy's good wishes and if he could double and triple them over the next few days-----

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