Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Not everyone went to college. The people who left school at 18, or even earlier, like myself, would have to work for 50 years to get a pension, yet I am here today speaking for the self-employed. I am self-employed. There are people who, under the guidance of the Government, will have to work for 50 years to get a pension. These are people who will build houses, people in all types of trades, whether it be hauliers or whatever, who would have to work for 50 years under the Government's regime to get a pension. The Government was looking for the pension age to go to 67 in January and to 68 by 2028. That is an absolute disgrace.

There are many people who are still working at 66, 67 or 68 in the pub industry or other jobs and whose livelihoods were put on hold as a result of Covid. The Government would not increase their pension to match the PUP. They are still paying their taxes into this House but the Government would not increase their payments up to the level of the PUP. The Government has no clue what it is like to be self-employed or to live without something. It has no clue how to look after the vulnerable in this country and it has no clue how to subsidise people to give everyone a level playing field. That has been clearly shown here today.

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