Report recommends flat-rate pensions to ward off senior poverty

A new report out this morning has recommended that the Government introduce a universal flat-rate pension, which would amount to about 40% of the average industrial wage.

Researchers at NUI Galway have found that two thirds of Irish women rely on non-contributory pensions, amounting to between €150 and €230 per week.

The report entitled 'Older Women Workers' Access to Pensions' is recommending that the State pension be increased to around €300 per week in order to eradicate gender inequality.

Report author Dr Nata Duvvury said: "One needs this political commitment to ensure that all citizens have some basic pension in retirement," she said.

"The numbers of women who are going to be 65 years or over in the next 15 to 20 years is going to grow by 536,000. It is a big number of women who could potentially live in fairly severe poverty."