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

The overall move from an averaging to a total contributions system will probably be the subject of a public consultation process next month. We will I hope have a very detailed and inclusive public consultation process, for both stakeholders and future pensioners, during the course of the summer months. It will be entirely separate from this particular fix. Ten-year credits are not new and will, therefore, not form part of the new legislation. The intention is to provide a 20-year home caring credit for most of the people concerned. They would not previously have been able to avail of it because it was only introduced in 1994. In the example Deputy Aindrias Moynihan gave, the people in question paid stamp in the particular period. They cannot have two stamps, notwithstanding how much they earned.

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