Cecilia Keaveney (Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister of State and the Department for the response. I know the answer will lie in the response to the Green Paper on pensions. To underline the words used by the Minister of State, the pension should reflect the level of Irish social contributions. To put this in context, I asked the Department of Social and Family Affairs in Sligo what the man would be entitled to had he not made the contributions in 1958. I was told it would be 98% of a contributory pension. Because he made a few contributions when he was 15 or 16, he will now be entitled to the equivalent of less than 50% so it is a significant issue. I am glad to have been given such a comprehensive reply and I hope the statement I have made on the Adjournment can be taken into account in the response to the Green Paper.