NWCI call for a universal state pension: all political parties agree, except Fianna Fail

Published: Thursday, May 07, 2009

All the main political parties except Fianna Fail supported a demand from the National Women's Council ( NWCI) for a universal state pension. Fianna Fail declined to send a spokesperson to the event. All agreed that the universal state pension could be funded through the redistribution of state expenditure on private pensions. Senator Dan Boyle, Green Party Spokesperson described the current situation as 'indefensible'.

Jan O'Sullivan, Labour Party TD for Limerick said the issue of pension rights for women should be addressed 'immediately'. ' The economic downturn cannot be used as an excuse not to address inequalities and injustices' she said.

The NWCI is campaigning for full pension rights for women who have worked as carers, on family farms and businesses and for women who lost pension rights as a result of the marriage bar.

Fine Gael TD Kieran O'Donnell said fundamental reform is required; 'it's not about tinkering about the edges' he said. Cllr Toireasa Ferris Sinn Fein pledged her party's '100% support for reforms'.

The politicians were speaking at the NWCI's seminar on their Social Welfare Reform Campaign' in Limerick. Liz Price from the Limerick Women's Network read out a letter from a woman who has cared for her disabled husband for 36 years. The woman said she would never be credited for her years spent as a full time carer, homemaker and mother. I believe this is an injustice, afterall, I have saved the state an awful lot of money', she said.