Results 6,781-6,800 of 8,212 for speaker:Alice-Mary Higgins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: It is relevant because in the middle of their working careers people were cut off. While I recognise Mr. Duggan may not see it as such, politically, even the Minister and others have recognised it as being relevant. The key point is that there were a number of people who were accessing the homemaker's disregard because of a culture which prevailed in the 1970s and 1980s which made it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I wish to address the contributory thresholds. I credit the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Deputy Regina Doherty, for introducing the care credit. I believe she has embraced and recognised the contribution those provide care make. However, the other thing that happened in 2012 was that the bar moved. I will come to the issue of signalling the move. The number of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: As there are two related points, I would like to ask a set of questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: If someone is required to have an overall 40-year record, of which care credits account for 20 years, there is still a period of 20 years for which they need to account. Is there something I do not understand?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: For a full-rate pension.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: No, that is my exact point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Is Mr. Duggan saying the threshold which moved from 260 to 520 contributions is the minimum? Is he saying there is still a 20-year requirement?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Will Mr. Duggan say that again? I ask him to leave aside the reference to a possible 50.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: We are not looking for an opinion on the qualifying requirements. I accept Mr. Duggan's clarification, but here is my point. There is still a 20-year requirement. There is an issue with the recognition of care. Effectively, it still functions as a disregard. It is not a situation where care provision is fully recognised. For example, somebody who has worked for 20 years will not access...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: I did not say it had not been improved; I said it had not been-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Excuse me, I must be clear. I have been clear that the care credit is an improvement. What I am pointing out is that there is a danger in moving the goalposts. The 40-year threshold is a concern because there is a wider frame. There is a moving of the goalposts in moving to a 40-year period instead of 20. That is a concern and it will mean that potentially not as many will benefit.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Let us move on. We will move on to the 40-year requirement. Mr. Duggan indicated that there had been a signalling for 20 years, from the 1990s until 2012, in advance of the change in the threshold from 260 to 520 contributions. My concern is that potentially we are talking about a two-year period of signalling if we bring forward the total contribution approach in 2020, whereby the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: No. To be clear, this is the same thing. Care provision is being added to the mix, but when it is added, the requirement goes up. We are not saying we are going to add it and give it equal status. If we were to be consistent, we would be looking at a 30-year requirement in line with the original vision for the total contribution approach. We would then accept 20 years of care credits as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That is exactly what I am suggesting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Excuse me. Mr. Duggan has given his opinion. He has said nothing has been decided, but it seems that ideas are set in his mind. He has made his opinion and preference very clear. However, it is for public consultation and us, as representatives of the public, to put forward perspectives. I do believe that if we are genuinely serious about recognising care-giving as a contribution, as I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: That is the extended opinion of Mr. Duggan, whereas I want to ask questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Before asking questions I wish to make two very brief points. The sustainability of society as recognised in our Constitution, depends on home life and care which is part of the common good. The question of sustainability is not simply an economic exercise, it is more substantial. We need to look at the intergenerational question to a wider degree. There is a wider section of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: State Pension Reform: Discussion (14 Jun 2018)

Alice-Mary Higgins: Because it was an opinion, I needed to respond to it.