Time for equality for all

An open letter to Mr Varadkar

Sir — When you were elected Taoiseach you promised you would use your office to promote equality for LGBT both here and in Northern Ireland. This is very commendable. But what about my equality? I recently retired and was awarded a contributory pension of a paltry sum of €152 per week. I am one of the many women in this country who has been victimised because I am a mother. I was forced to give up work in the early 1970s to rear my family (no child care facilities of any description available back then) and I returned to the workforce in the year 2000.

Your government in its wisdom decided that one of the ways of solving the finances of this country was to discriminate against the mothers of Ireland. It seems to me that equality for some sections of our society is more important than others.

This act was passed in the 2012 Budget and I would ask you, Mr Varadkar, to use your office of Taoiseach to reverse same on or before the 2017 Budget. Thanking you in anticipation. Mai, Galway Full name and address with Editor