Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 160: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on the assertions of the Pensions Ombudsman to the Joint Committee on Social and Family Affairs on 25 July 2006, that the Government is running contradictory policies on pensions which may be discriminating against women; the efforts he is making to combat same and ensure better pension coverage for women; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31839/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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The most recent figures available from the Central Statistics Office, 1st quarter 2005, show that 51.5% of workers have supplementary pension coverage. The figure for males is 54.2% while 47.5% of females are contributing to a pension. The Government is aiming for a coverage rate of 70% for those who are 30 years of age and over. The coverage rate for this group is currently about 59%.

Because pensions coverage for females is below average there is a particular focus on them in the National Pensions Awareness Campaign. This has involved special initiatives and promotions, aimed at women, built around appropriate events. The objective is to encourage women to avail of opportunities afforded to them to contribute to an occupational or a private scheme and the most recent coverage figures have shown a small improvement on the 2004 figure.

The Pensions Ombudsman has drawn attention to difficulties being experienced by women in relation to pensions in particular areas and, if possible, I would like to see these resolved. The comments made by the Pensions Ombudsman related to certain public service pension schemes. My colleague, the Minister for Finance, has overall responsibility for public service pensions policy. Each public service pension scheme operates under specific rules and conditions. The issues raised by the Pensions Ombudsman are matters for the individual public service bodies in the first instance, in consultation with the Minister under whose aegis they operate and the Minister for Finance as appropriate. In this context, the points made by the Pensions Ombudsman in July are being considered further by those concerned.