We’ll hike pension every year and boost infrastructure spending, says Varadkar
TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar has revealed that the Government plans to increase the State pension every year in order to keep it ahead of rate of inflation.
Speaking to the media this week, Mr Varadkar said he could not go into specifics on the autumn Budget.
But when pressed on whether there will be an increase in pensions, the Taoiseach said: ‘That is our intention.
‘I can’t go into any specifics on the Budget on tax, on pensions, on welfare, on spending, because we just aren’t at that point yet.
‘But what I will say is the Programme for Government states very clearly it is our intention to increase the pension and increase it ahead of the rate of inflation and to do so every year. So that is absolutely our intention and our plan, and we are working towards increasing the pension in the next budget but I can’t get into any specific commitments.’
As social protection minister last summer, Mr Varadkar proposed linking the State pension to the rate of inflation and the cost of living.
However, he said at the time that the current pension system was unsustainable and that ‘individuals will have to make greater provision for their own retirement’.
When asked this week about the near decade-long underinvestment in capital infrastructure, Mr Varadkar said: ‘Unlike other European countries, our population is growing and it is growing fast so we need to invest more than other countries would.
‘Countries like Germany and France were rich countries 100 years ago, they had 100 years to build their metros, and their train systems. We have only become a wealthy country in the last 10 or 20.
‘So we need to be able to catch up with the rest of Europe in terms of infrastructure. But I would like to say that it is not like nothing is being done.
‘I was transport minister five and a half years ago. I signed the order to link the Luases and that day has now come. The question is, what do we do next? What is the next public transport project?’