Maria Byrne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to express sympathy on the passing of the late Dolores O'Riordan, a native of Ballybricken in Limerick. I attended the funeral over the weekend. Dolores sat behind me in school so I knew her then. She was a very fine person and a great ambassador not only for Limerick but for Ireland. She was a great performer. I offer my sympathies to her mother, Eileen, her siblings and the rest of the family.

On the pension announcement today, in the past I have raised the issue of ladies and the marriage bar and the number of people who lost out in their pensions. It is a welcome announcement by the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection today that people's accumulated contributions are going to be taken into account and also that there will be 20 years allowed for the homemakers and carers and those who stayed at home to rear their children. This is very welcome news. People do not have to contact the Department. The Department will contact those whom it thinks are affected. It will be effective from March 2018, which is most welcome. As has been said already, 42,000 people have been affected by this in the past. The development is most welcome.