Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I am asking the Minister the same question as the previous one but in a different manner and I would like the Minister to take a slightly different emphasis from the one she took with respect to the question of discrimination against women in this regard. Although these band changes affect both men and women, there are particular measures of discrimination affecting women who raised their families prior to 1994. In addressing the question and making the statement that I have asked for, the Minister, given that she was part of the previous regime, might try to explain why that date was chosen, why was it not 1993, 1996 or 1990. Will she explain if it was arbitrarily chosen? Was it calculated on the basis of the amount of savings the State would make, because it knew that prior to 1994 there would not be that many people retiring for the next 20 or 25 years, in order to get us out of the austerity period? I am asking the Minister the same question as the previous ones with a different emphasis on the issue of discrimination against women who made their homes prior to that date.

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