Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail)

If there were to be a cap on pensions, I would set it lower than €60,000. That figure is meaningless because so few people would be affected by it and the Exchequer would not be affected. Citing the figure makes it look as though everyone is receiving one of these sixty-grand pensions. Averaging is a good way of imposing a cap. Someone who starts off as a junior civil servant and works his or her way up will qualify for a pension of much less than €60,000.

There seems to be an inconsistency in the Sinn Féin position and Senator Cullinane needs to think about it and explain it to the public. This is not reality. It is political flag-waving that is getting the debate nowhere.