Eddie Hobbs: We face retirement apartheid if we ignore the pensions problem

Ireland will experience a chronic problem with retirement poverty, and needs a proper study of the crisis as a precursor to engaging in debate on the issue, says Eddie Hobbs            

VALERIE’S name was announced on her trendy apron. She took coffee orders one at a time, her movements slow, unrushed.

Unresponsive until she faced customers, she clearly had diminished hearing, but that was hardly surprising: Valerie looked about 70. It is a chronic error to project society forward further than 10 years and expect it to be the same as today. It won’t be.