Letters to the Editor: Minister should resolve what he termed 'the raid on private pensions'
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May 1 marked the opening of the Bealtaine Festival, which, its website tells us, is an “arts initiative, funded by the Arts Council and the HSE”. Throughout the month we are promised “an expansive line-up of performances and activities championing generational interdependence and diversity”.
The Irish Senior Citizens’ Parliament (ISCP) welcomes this annual celebration of ageing as a positive and active phase of life.
Unfortunately, there’s a dark underbelly to the State’s laudable promotion of generational interdependence: the longstanding discrimination against occupational pensioners enshrined in the Industrial Relations Act of 1946.
The legislation excludes pensioners’ representative associations such as those penning this letter from the negotiating table when occupational pensioners’ wages in retirement are being effectively determined by government policy or by employers and unions. As a result, following the economic crash of 2008, tens of thousands of semi-state pensioners have endured pay freezes for over a decade and, in some cases, 10% to 20% cuts which have not been refunded, even partially. Overall, there’s no evidence of pay restoration along the lines that have applied to most of the active workforce.
When the organisations we represent in the ISCP canvassed TDs of all parties to address this discrimination, only one, Bríd Smith of People Before Profit, tabled a private members’ bill.
In 2023 her Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements to Retired Workers) Bill 2021 was supported by all opposition parties after the ISCP outlined to the Oireachtas committee on enterprise, trade and employment the reality of how this injustice was impacting our members. But it is still bogged down at an Oireachtas committee. Meanwhile, we’re aware of many pensioners who have been enduring poverty, particularly in the past two years which have been dominated by the cost of living crisis.
In 2011, while most of our members were still in employment, they wore the green jersey when the troika was in town and paid Michael Noonan’s pension fund levy of 0.6%-0.75%. And not for the four years the same minister had promised it would last, but five. Add to that part of the same deduction is still being imposed on many pensioners’ payslips.
In opposition, in late 2015, Michael McGrath, now finance minister, said of his predecessor’s levy: “The raid on private pensions has added to the difficulties of many pension schemes already struggling to pay the benefits pensioners are entitled to.”
In light of this, will Mr McGrath reconsider his opposition to Bríd Smith’s bill? And will he recompense the very many pensioners whose basic pensions have been set at the level they were pegged at when they were paying the Noonan levy?
For almost 45 years, Irish governments have refused to implement the outcome of the referendum on the Seventh Amendment that mandated the Oireachtas to expand the electorate for Seanad elections.
When finally challenged, the last government and current government fought through the High Court and Supreme Court against implementing the constitutional amendment endorsed by the people of Ireland in 1979.
Even when the Supreme Court ruled against the Government last year, the Government sought a minimum of 48 further months to finally implement the Seventh Amendment. This was, rightly, refused by the court.
Now, when the Supreme Court has required the Government to act on the Seventh Amendment before the end of May 2025, the Government has decided to do the bare minimum and only allow more third-level graduates vote for one tenth of the Seanad — ‘New bill will allow all third-level graduates vote in Seanad elections’ (Irish Examiner, April 30).
As we approach local elections, it strikes me as utterly bizarre that Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and Green Party representatives will be asking voters to elect them to local councils where they’ll enjoy five votes each in Seanad elections, while their parties have seemingly determined that most of those same voters aren’t capable of exercising a vote in Seanad elections.
I certainly will not be voting for any candidate whose party has actively chosen to make acquisition of a college degree a requirement of casting a vote for one House of the Oireachtas.
Any TD or senator who considers themselves a democrat should reject Minister Darragh O’Brien’s proposed Seanad Electoral (University Members) Bill 2024 at every stage and ensure that the Government has no choice but to give everyone a right to vote in Seanad elections, regardless of their educational qualifications.
I read with interest Jen Horgan’s article — ‘Whole island of Ireland united in removing religion from schools’ (Irish Examiner, April 29) — which included a proposal for the removal of faith formation in Catholic schools. As a parent of primary schoolchildren I feel that the voice of parents who want faith formation kept in Catholic schools is not being sufficiently heard in this debate.
Parents are the “primary educators of their children” according to the Constitution and therefore should be at the heart of the decision-making process regarding what is taught in schools.
According to the Genesis research which Jen Horgan herself referenced, 72% of parents stated that they sent their child to the school of their choice and 78% of parents were either “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the school their child was attending. This research found that a staggering 78% of parents want the Catholic Church to have a continuing role in shaping and influencing school ethos. These statistics show there is little parental appetite for change of patronage.
In the article, INTO delegate Tomás O’Reilly acknowledged that reconfiguration of schools hasn’t worked. I believe this is because there isn’t a large demand for it. I agree with him that further investment should take place at parish level to encourage a lifelong faith.
Almost every country in Europe (apart from five) funds denominational education from the public purse. For a truly inclusive society to flourish we need a broad mix of school patronage. The Government needs to make good on their promise of 400 multi-denominational schools by 2030. There needs to be divestment of some Catholic schools but not a wholesale withdrawal of Catholic faith formation from all Catholic schools. That would not respect parental choice nor contribute to a truly pluralistic society.
Regarding Catholic schools being inclusive, an ESRI publication on school sector variation in Ireland found where Catholic schools have migrant pupils among the student body, the spread of nationalities is actually wider compared to either multi-denominational or minority faith schools.
Did Billy Fitzpatrick check his assertion about Israel’s right wing government against Orban’s Hungary? or Erdogan’s Turkey? — ‘EU backs far-right Israeli government’ (Irish Examiner, letters, April 30).
Israel has not been always on the far right of international spectrum as “Uncle Joe” Stalin — known sometime as a Communist and “progressive” — guaranteed Israeli independence by tipping off Czechoslovakia to sell her a pile of 40,000 surrendered German weapons. Besides, Israel declined the US invitation to send troops to Korea.
For his allegation that Gaza has seen atrocities unlike anything since 1945 our Billy must have been young enough to fall asleep when Vietnam was on television: Israel has not poured napalm over Gaza. Israel has not used cluster bombs. Then there are the Syrian 500,000 dead and barrel bombs over Aleppo, etc, and the 300,000 dead in the current Yemen War, and three million dead Bangladeshis killed by Pakistan in the 1970-71 War of Independence. And what about Darfur?
The exclusivist claim that Arabs in Palestine are aboriginal and subject to racism is viciously pots and kettles. Lebanon bans Palestine refugees from a list of more than 70 occupations. A third of Gazans are surnamed with variants of ‘Masri’ so their families were Egyptian economic migrants to the Mandate.
When some have done their homework they will note that irrespective of military incidents and colonial episodes, Europe has permanent trade interests with its historic partners for valid commercial exchange starting with tea and coffee.
One reason for Palestine’s problems is that it has nothing to offer the world except, in the eyes of some, violence and disruption.