‘Reverse heartless move against women’

ANGRY women from all over the country protested at the Department of Social and Family Affairs in Dublin yesterday over the axing of their contributory state pension.

An estimated 200 farming women with banners and placards demanded that Minister Mary Hanafin fully restores the pension taken from them in January in what they described as a disgraceful decision.

In addition, to the withdrawal of the pension, the department also sought the refund of the payments made to some women.

Ms Hanafin recently told the Dáil some 87 individuals were told they qualified for the pension but then it was discovered they did not qualify.

“This occurred because of an administrative mistake by the department and I regret that it was made.

“Some 135 people out of 268 are in receipt of a pension,” she said.

But the Irish Farmers’ Association president John Bryan, addressing yesterday’s protest, said the decision to deprive farm women of a pension was a heartless move against a hidden workforce who had finally gained some recognition for decades of work on the farm.

He said an agreement was negotiated with Ms Hanafin in good faith to include these farm women in the state contributory pension.

“A deal is a deal and the minister must honour her word,” he said, stressing that Ms Hanafin cannot simply ignore the genuine cases of the farm women.

Mr Bryan said the women’s farm partnerships have been recognised by the department, and they had paid the necessary PRSI contributions in order to qualify for their pension.

IFA Farm Family chairwoman Margaret Healy said the treatment of these elderly women is causing great distress and upset.

“The department’s decision to grant a pension was the culmination of a hard- fought campaign by the IFA Farm Family Committee on behalf of farm spouses whose lifetime’s work on the family farm had not been officially recognised,” she said.

Ms Healy said she was very concerned for the welfare of the women, whose pensions have been taken away without warning.

“Some of these women are without their weekly pensions since early January and this leaves them in a very vulnerable situation.

“Our elderly people are entitled to a more caring attitude from the minister and her department,” she said.

Last night, a dozen women, who were continuing with a sit-in protest at the Department’s office, vowed to stay there until Ms Hanafin met them on the issue.

Máiréad McGuinness, Ireland East MEP, said the minister should meet the women concerned and reverse the “appalling decision” on the pension.