Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I too fully support the motion. The attempts by the previous Government, made up of Fine Gael backed by Fianna Fáil - the same crowd - to increase the pension age of 66 to 67 and maybe on to 68 really backfired prior to the general election. There was palpable anger on the doorsteps in my constituency and, I presume, those of other Deputies. People were rightly angered. They may have spent 50 years working and felt that their little time of relaxation after giving so much to their country was slipping out of their hands due to an unscrupulous Government.

It is sad to see that after years of work people have to go on the dole for 12 months before they can get their pension. Good God, do we have any respect for people of pensionable age?

The new Government has continued that approach with the Covid-19 payment. Those over 66 have been excluded. They have been out working all their lives and continue to work and pay their taxes. I acknowledge they were getting their pension but surely they were entitled to the difference between the pension and the Covid payment. However, the Government refused to give them anything. It gave them absolutely nothing. I spoke to publicans today who are over 66 and have a pension. They got no Covid payment. The doors of their pubs are shut. The Government has ruined their businesses. It is quite happy; it thinks we do not have a problem in the world. The longer those pubs are shut, the happier the Government is.

I refer to the apology offered by Deputy Sherlock this evening. It was a Labour Party Minister who destroyed women's pensions. The hurt the Labour Party - my father used to call it the party of the workers but that is not the case now - caused to women will never be forgotten in this State. Those women had their pension rights destroyed. It was an absolute catastrophe. More than one apology from one Deputy is needed from the Labour Party for those actions.

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