Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the 15 Members for their contributions during the Order of Business.

Senators Ardagh, Reilly, Kieran O'Donnell, Gavan, Higgins, Mulherin and Conway raised the issue of the pension inequality that affects women. I agree with them that it is discriminatory and unjust. All of us in our personal lives and our lives as politicians understand that the anomaly needs to be redressed.A wrong was done to a group of women who had to leave the workforce. To those of us who live in modern Ireland it seems incredible that they had to leave the workforce in the first place. It is important to recognise that women should have and should receive fair treatment. The Minister has been very candid in his approach. As Senator Colm Burke said, we are coming out the worst recession in the history of the country. The Minister is trying to make progress on the issue and he is anxious to address it but it was not possible to do so in this budget. It is important that the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Deputy Regina Doherty, would come to the House. I would be happy to facilitate Members in such a request. She is due to come before us in the coming weeks. The matter has been raised previously by many Senators and it is a very complicated area with a very long-standing need to have redress put in place. However, it does cost money. As Senator O'Donnell correctly said, some people will not qualify, others will get partial payments, and others still will get reduced payments. The important point is that I will bring the Minister to the House to address the issue as it needs to be debated in full in order to find a resolution because it is about equality for all citizens.

Senator Ardagh also made reference to housing and the hidden homeless. She made a good point. The Government gave an increase of 46% to the housing budget and Rebuilding Ireland is the roadmap for the future. An extra €500 million in supports is available to target 50,000 homes for those in need of social housing. It is important that the remarks of Senator Ardagh are heard by the Minister. I would be happy to bring them to the relevant Minister, the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy.

Senator Craughwell, who has been a champion of the Defence Forces in this House, raised the number of Army personnel with housing concerns and the need to see Defence Forces property freed up for use. The Minister of State with responsibility for defence, Deputy Paul Kehoe, is open to doing some of the things to which Senator Craughwell referred. The Senator is correct that the houses should be immediately refurbished and put back into the housing stock. That would do two things, namely, reduce the waiting lists and also allow the soldiers in whom we have great pride, and who take great pride in their work, to live either on the Army base or, as the Senator indicated, close to work in the case of The Curragh. That is something on which we might work with the Minister of State with responsibility for defence. I would be very happy to speak to the Senator about the matter after the Order of Business.