Ann Graves (Dublin Fingal East, Sinn Fein)
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515. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the EU Member States that made restitution for historically discriminatory social welfare, particularly in the case of women who have lost out on pension payments due to the marriage bar preventing them from working; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56658/25]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The marriage bar was a legal requirement for women in the Irish civil service and some areas of the public service to retire from employment after marriage. While the legislation applied only to the civil and public sector, a similar policy was adopted by other sectors, such as the banking sector. The marriage bar for civil servants was removed from Irish legislation in 1973.

The marriage bar was also applied by many countries internationally, including some European countries. The application of the marriage bar, and its duration, varied across countries and particular sectors of employment.

In Ireland, the impact of the marriage bar on pension entitlements for women, including State Pension eligibility, varied depending on the sector they worked in and whether they returned to paid employment after the bar was lifted. It is worth remembering that most civil and public servants recruited prior to 1995 are not entitled to the State Pension (Contributory) and would not have been entitled to it had they continued working as a civil or public servant, regardless of gender and marital status, due to the application of a modified PRSI rate.

My Department is not aware of any restitution by EU Member States in relation to any marriage bars that may have been in place.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.