Senator Higgins said "The 2012 cuts to the reduced rate state pension added injury to injury to insult for thousands of those, mainly women, who were already suffering from an unfair averaging pension system – one that penalises anyone who undertook care work or were forced to give up work due to the marriage bar. Many women, for example, had made enough contributions for a full pension, but were put on a 'reduced rate' because their contributions were not continuous - then the 'reduced rate' was cut."
"I campaigned for gender equality in our pension system for many years while working at Older and Bolder and at the National Women’s Council of Ireland. Since joining the Oireachtas Committee for Social Protection last year, I have made this a priority issue and the recent report produced by that Committee strongly recommended the reversal of these cuts and action to address the underlying flaws in our system."
“The Minister for Finance Pascal Donohue has himself acknowledged that the system is 'Bonkers' but claims it will cost too much to fix it. "However", Senator Higgins emphasised, "not fixing the system also has a cost, and that is carried every week by the tens of thousands of older citizens, mainly women, who have money taken from their pension, sometimes up to €35 a week or €1560 a year. The Government must face up to its responsibilities."
Senator Higgins concluded "I am asking Pascal Donohoe to allocate additional resources to address this injustice before the Finance and Social Welfare Bills pass through the Oireachtas. I have also called for a special Seanad debate on the promised gender and equality proofing of Budget 2018, highlighting this and other issues such as supports for lone parents, measures for those with a disability and investment in public services and housing.”