Sir, – “Mr Kenny told his parliamentary party there would be issues and difficulties in touching people’s pensions and is understood to have said moves to do so could interfere with constitutional rights” (“FG TDs concerned at pension increases for taoisigh”, July 9th). “Under our Constitution pensions are preserved property rights. I can no more take somebody’s pension than I can arbitrarily decide to take their house” (“Brendan Howlin rules out extra €1 billion for health”, July 9th).
Do these statements from our Taoiseach and our Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform point the way to an avenue of redress for those of us, in private pension schemes, who had part of our pensions removed in perpetuity when the Minister for Finance helped himself to a percentage of the capital that was intended to provide those pensions? I call on the Government to explain why some pensions have constitutional protection while others do not appear to have any such privilege. – Yours, etc,
NOREEN CASEY,
Bray, Co Wicklow.