Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 414: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his proposals for budget 2006 to make poverty history for older persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32848/05]

Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 415: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on the recent submission he received from Age Action Ireland which is striving to make poverty history for older persons. [32976/05]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 414 and 415 together.

In mid-October, I held a pre-budget forum which was attended by 31 representative organisations, including Age Action Ireland. At this forum, each organisation, had the opportunity to present its key priorities for consideration in advance of budget 2006. I thank Age Action Ireland for its contribution to the forum and the valuable work which it and many other organisations do in their communities.

I have also received a written pre-budget submission from Age Action Ireland, entitled Making Poverty History for Older People, which sets out a wide range of proposals relating to older people. These proposals, with other proposals put forward by other organisations, will be considered in the context of the forthcoming budget.

In this context, the Government is committed to increasing the rate of the basic State pension to €200 by 2007. We are on target to achieve this objective. In budget 2005, all pensioners received an increase of €12 per week. This represented a level of increase equivalent to three times the projected level of inflation for 2005, thereby ensuring a real increase in the standard of living for all pensioners. I look forward to making further progress on this matter in budget 2006.