State Pensions
Dail Éireann — 2026-09-24
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Paula Butterly (FG), Louth

I acknowledge the measures that have been introduced over recent years, including the homemakers scheme, home caring periods and long-term carer's contributions. They are positive developments and help to ensure that caring work receives greater recognition within the pension scheme. However, some women from older generations are not benefiting fully from these reforms because they had already reached the pension age before many of these measures were introduced or because they do not have the minimum level of paid contributions needed to access the contributory pension scheme. A concern for me, particularly in my constituency in County Louth, relates to women whose caring years took place largely before 1994. While home caring periods and other reforms have improved recognition of caring responsibilities, many women feel they have received little recognition for years spent raising families at a time when pensions supports for carers were far less developed. Many of these women made contributions during their working lives.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-09-24/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-28T05:50:50+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-09-24