Pension anomaly is immoral... it must go

THE Government has gifted the Opposition an own goal by not addressing the anomaly that leaves many women on lower pensions. They may have thought that because it was Joan Burton, minister for social protection in the last coalition with Labour, who exacerbated the problem in 2012, this Government did not have the responsibility to address it.

As always, they underestimated public distaste for a policy that is fundamentally unfair. There are many historical reasons why women left the workforce, even if only temporarily – not least the marriage ban that saw many thousands forced out of work after walking down the aisle. That issue was addressed decades ago, so why should its legacy now be used as a stick with which to beat the elderly?

It fell to lifelong Fine Gaeler Eamon Tynan to force their hand. Mr Tynan, who kick-started the controversy, has been a party member or 50 years and his uncle was military hero and former Fine Gael TD Seán Mac Eoin. His wife is a victim of the anomaly and, urging the Government to pay the money owed, he said that what has happened is wrong and immoral.

Now Fianna Fáil, with the support of Sinn Féin, get to pass a motion on the issue, putting further pressure on a Government that has already admitted the anomaly is wrong, while also hand-wringing about the cost of making it right.

This is a time for action, not obfuscation. The Government must act to remedy this inequality, and should bear in mind the political maxim: ‘Nothing that is morally wrong can be politically correct.’