Dan Boyle (Green Party)

It is a privilege to welcome and to have introduced my friend and colleague, Niall Ó Brolcháin, to Seanad Éireann today. It is an historic day not only for Niall and his family but for the Green Party-Comhaontas Glas, which has increased representation in this Chamber from no representation prior to the 23rd Seanad. I am very confident and certain that Niall's contribution will further the role we have sought to achieve as a party of Government and in interacting with all parties in this Chamber.

He enters the House at a time of great political, economic and social uncertainty. I know his life experience and his experience as a public representative will be to the advantage of this House and our deliberations in the time we have left in the 23rd Seanad.

I go some way down the road to agreeing with Senator O'Toole in that we need a major debate not only in this House but in this country on the question of pensions in general, including State pensions, the level of State support we give by way of tax incentives to private pensions and the different types of public sector pensions. It should be remembered that when the national pension fund was established for 25 years, putting in 1.5% of GDP for those 25 years, the best it would have achieved, even after appreciated market value over that time, would be to provide enough money to pay for public service pensions alone. There would be nothing for the State pension or the needs of other pensioners. We need to discuss how pensions can be organised differently and how a benefit can be secured for all citizens in an equal and proportionate way. Ireland has not had such a debate and we very much need to have it in the next decade, in particular.