Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

This is one of those sections where 1 January has no good, bad or indifferent impact. There is no impact on when a person makes a claim, but when he or she makes the claim for the pension as a person who has previously been self-employed, then he or she pays up the money at that time. From that time, the money will be paid. As soon as such people bring in their claim, they will be told about their money. If they say they will bring the money back next month or next year or in five years, they will be told their pension will only be paid from the time they pay their contributions. The starting date of this legislation has no bearing at all on this section.