Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is only ten. It can be accessed at ten years of credits but I had raised this issue previously with one of the Minister's officials and was told that technically it is 20, but it can be accessed at ten years of credits. In any case, the current situation means that we knew in 2010 and from the 2010 pension proposals that there was a plan to move towards a total contribution approach of 30 years, which would require a total of 30 years' contributions. In relation to this cohort we now have for the first time on the books a situation where people's pensions are calculated on the basis of 40 years' contribution. I recognise that within that people can count carer credits. I am concerned at the decision under this new scheme to set the bar at 40 years of contributions, rather than 30 years.I am worried about the signal that might send in terms of the intention in respect of the total contribution approach. As we have heard from officials, no final decision has been made in respect of what the total contribution approach will look like. The Minister will be aware that submissions from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and many others have expressed concern at any attempt to move beyond the expected 30 year contributory threshold. I am concerned about the example being set in going for 40 years in this instance. This report is to provide an estimation and an example for us to look back on to determine what the cost of the scheme would have been if it had been calculated on the basis of a 30 year requirement rather than a 40 year requirement. It would determine what the impact might have been on the women, primarily, who are affected, if it had been calculated on the basis of 30 rather than 40 years.

There were some concerns about the consultation over the summer. There are three or four areas of pension consultation under way at the moment and different approaches are being used in each. With the Strawman proposal in respect of the supplementary pension scheme, people were able to see what the proposals were. I had feedback from a number of people who tried to navigate the opt-in survey monkey system that was used during the summer for the total contribution approach. It was never made clear that the issue of the number of years of contributions would be there. It was quite a difficult consultation to navigate and that is why a number of NGOs ended up sending in supplementary documents in which they were able to unpack the issue in a way that the multiple-choice questionnaire did not allow for. There is wider concern. Is there scope simply to analyse what a 30 year option would have looked like on the 2012 changes? In general I very widely welcome them, especially the care credit aspect.