Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I commend my party colleagues, Deputies Louise O'Reilly and Claire Kerrane, on submitting this important motion which I am delighted to support.

The issue of increasing the pension age energised people during the election campaign in February and that energy is still evident. Raising the pension age affects thousands every year. This number will continue to increase if it is not rectified. First, mandatory retirement at 65 years, except perhaps in some security-related employment, should be abolished. Everyone should be allowed to choose to continue working, if willing and able, past 65 years of age or, alternatively, people should be allowed to retire at 65 but with a pension. I am calling for the restoration of the State pension transition payment. No one should be forced to claim jobseeker's benefit after years of hard work. Older people in our society who have given so much over the years deserve better. They have worked hard and paid their taxes. They have had a particularly hard year this year. Older people were hardest hit by Covid-19. They were also discriminated against since employees and the self-employed over the age of 66 were not allowed claim the pandemic unemployment payment.

The plan to increase the pension age to 67 years may have been deferred but the Commission on Pensions that has been established to look at this issue does not have the confidence of the people affected by this since they are not represented on the commission. The commission should include people with the lived experience of being forced to retire without the security of a pension.

I want to refer specifically to carers and the need to find a pension solution that recognises their valuable work. Many carers, the majority of whom are women, most often fall into a pension gap. They do not qualify for the contributory State pension as most gave up work to care for a loved one and do not have the necessary credits. They do not qualify for a non-contributory State pension as they will be means tested and often, due to a partner's income or land, if living on a family farm, they will not receive it. After years of caring they are then told at pension age they do not qualify for a pension. This is an insult and is most hurtful.

The total contributions approach due to come into effect next year is welcome and will see the introduction of up to 20 years of credits for caregiving, but it is only granted to those who have accumulated 520 paid contributions. A person who has perhaps given up a job to care for a child with a disability or an illness may not have 520 paid contributions. I am calling for the issues around carers and access to a State pension be examined and rectified. I am calling for the pension age not to be increased to 67 years and the State pension transition payment to be restored.

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