Sir, – Ciaran Hancock quotes the views of pensions ombudsman Paul Kenny on the notorious 2011 pension levy (“Pension levy on private sector not always ‘fair’”, January 29th).
While questioning the levy’s fairness, Mr Kenny considered it “legal”. I am one of those whose private-sector workers whose pension has suffered a permanent reduction. Unlike those in the public sector, people like me have no hope of seeing this austerity measure reversed. We have to “suck it up”, as we have had to do with so many other impositions over the past four years and more. But the difference between this levy and the other tax increases is that this one targeted our life savings. Our pensions were fully funded by us and our employers.
The genius of this levy was that the Coalition at last found a way of pillaging our bank accounts. Moreover they were decently quiet about it. The levy was passed through the Oireachtas without a whimper. Was there any other €2.1 billion imposition in the history of the State that was introduced more furtively?
If I had a good lawyer and a lot of money, I’m sure I could disprove Mr Kenny’s claim that it was “legal”. – Yours, etc,
MARTIN FITZPATRICK,
Dublin 5.