Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)

——who did not come above the radar on tax and PRSI, and people who were duped in the workplace and did not have their cards stamped, to use the old colloquialism, or in other words people whose employers did not pay their PRSI contribution. The majority of people who apply and receive non-contributory old-age pensions are deserving. The cost of administering the means test must at least equal, if not exceed, the amount of money saved. It causes great hardship and pain and is inequitable and unfair. We should salute these older people and remove the means test as a goodwill gesture.

I again issue my plea to the Leader to use his good offices to achieve this. He promised me he would come back with a report on this. I would like to see the up-to-date position. It is a critical issue for many families and many people are involved. This ties in with the remarks of Senator Keaveney, which I second, about lonely and isolated people this Christmas. Many of these are the people I am talking about.