Age Action, Ireland’s leading advocacy organisation for older people, has responded to the pension reforms outlined this afternoon by Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection Regina Doherty TD.
Justin Moran, Head of Advocacy and Communications with Age Action, said: “We’re disappointed that the Government has decided not to reverse the 2012 pension cuts, which is the simplest way to fix this injustice and deliver a fair State Pension.
“But we appreciate that Minister Doherty’s solution can make a very real and substantial difference in the incomes of thousands of men and women who were punished by the pension system for rearing their families.
“This is very welcome, and it’s clear she has been listening to those who lost out, but it falls short of what pensioners were demanding. It also means those who were out of the workforce for reasons other than providing care won’t benefit from this at all.
“In the coming days we will be examining the changes in more detail and discussing the next steps in our campaign with our members.”