€363m to fix ‘cruel’ pension inequality

The cost of fixing the pensions discrimination scandal next year would be some €363m, the Dáil heard, but leaving the gap in payments for older people is “cruel, callous and unconstitutional”.

Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are trading blows over how to help tens of thousands of pensioners, mainly women, from getting equatable payments.

Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty though conceded yesterday that there could be no “retrospective” top-ups, with a solution to the pensions fiasco possibly now years away.