Minister Pascal Donohue’s statement this week on pensions shows the disconnect between some of our politicians and the ordinary people on the ground.
Minister Donohue reckons that people should be providing for their own pensions, and that’s all very fine coming from a man who will retire on a big pension paid for by the taxpayer. The reality of life for most people in middle Ireland today whether they are in employment or self-employed, is that they can barely keep their heads above water financially. They pay income tax, PRSI, VAT, USC, Property Tax, Excise Duty etc etc and those taxes have to be paid before they pay their mortgage or send their children to school and to third level education, and put food on the table. It means that very many families have hardly enough to live on from one month to the next and are certainly not able to be putting money by to cater for a pension.
It’s time the Minister copped on and faced the reality of what people are going through, particularly those on modest incomes who are the largest group in our society. It is this kind or arrogant and uncaring statement that turns people off politics and politicians and Ministers should be more careful of what they say. When people spend their whole working lives paying their taxes they should be entitled to a state pension when they come to retirement age