Feargal Quinn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

A couple of years ago, I raised the matter here of an Irish citizen who had been imprisoned without trial in Sri Lanka. Great efforts have been made to find a solution and the great news is that he arrived home this week to his wife and three children. He has been in prison for seven years and his 24 year old, 20 year old, and 16 year old daughters had not seen him in that time. It is a matter for great joy. I raise it to say that the work of the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Irish ambassador in India has been very helpful. The family would wish that to be passed on. Hopefully, this will be the end of these matters.

There is a case to be made for having a Minister for pensions. The pensions crisis we are likely to experience in the future will eclipse the banking crisis of a few years ago yet we are not taking the steps we must. As the population grows, the number of young workers being replaced by retired older people will go from five to one to three to one. That will be an impossible situation. The Comptroller and Auditor General estimates that in a number of years time the cost to the State of public sector pensions alone will be €157 billion. This is a huge matter, yet we merely say of pensions "Oh yes, we must do something about that". The case should be made to appoint a Minister for pensions in the very next Cabinet reshuffle or on the formation of the next Government but very shortly in any event. That Minister would concentrate all of his or her efforts on the crisis that is facing us.