Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister’s Department provides for voluntary contributions. If somebody comes in here on class S, the voluntary contribution is €500 per year. If they come in on class A, it is €5,000 per year. A person cannot opt to become a class S contributor when they come in here on a voluntary contribution. That is the first thing.

Second, I am aware of a Deputy who lost his seat in this House who qualified for the old age pension just after he lost his seat. I am not sure what his career was beforehand. The impact on him of four years on class K is a loss of €20 a week, in perpetuity, in his contributory old age pension. Some €20 per week does not sound like a lot, but one would hope that after hitting 66, one might continue on for another 20 or 30 years before departing this world. It is the penal nature of it that we object to. I do not mind if we can work out a scheme whereby after a certain number of years, one loses a portion of one's entitlements and after a few more one loses something else. I do not know. The experts can sit and work that type of thing out.

My colleague, Senator Burke, spoke about people who lose their seats. I understand it is extremely difficult for one to find employment if one has been in this House. Being a person of political interest, or even being married to one or being the child of one, is a problem. I did not think it was that important until I stuck my card into an ATM and could not get any money out. When I rang the bank and asked what was happening, I was told that I had been sent some forms to fill in but I had not done so. Suddenly, I found my wife’s account was locked because she did not fill them in. In addition, my children are required to fill them in, as are the Minister’s children and those of everybody in this House.

We need to start treating the people in this House as workers. Incremental credit, for example, has now been restored for every part of the public service but it has not been restored for Members of the Oireachtas. I understand that there are delicacies when one is dealing with these things. However, I am a worker first. I work for the State. I am very fortunate in the job I have, but I am a worker and I should be treated like any other worker in the State. I would appreciate if the Minister could give me some positive indication on this.