David Cullinane (Sinn Fein)

My understanding of this section is similar to that of Senator Moloney. The section provides for the phased introduction from April 2013 to April 2015 of an increase in the number of contributions which a person must make prior to becoming a voluntary contributor. However, I have difficulty with the logic of this provision. The problem is that we are on the one hand making it more difficult for people to claim and on the other are requiring people to work for longer periods in order to make a claim. The problem for many workers is that the thresholds are increasing and it is difficult for them to find employment. This means some people will not have sufficient credits and will lose out. Perhaps the Minister will explain the logic and reasoning behind why now, of all times, when people are through no fault of their own losing their jobs and finding it difficult to get employment, we are asking them to increase their contributions.