Pensions, public and private

Sir, – Might I ask that in future your correspondents tighten their use of language and stop referring to the supposedly cosseted “public sector” when whinging about the pension levy, and instead refer to the group they actually mean, namely the civil service? The semi-states have always funded their own pensions, just as our poor, victimised private sector workers (for whom I’m currently playing the smallest violin in the world) have done, and they pay the same levy on them. Contrary to John Whelan’s griping, there certainly is a fund to levy in the public sector. – Yours, etc,

DAVID SMITH,

Harmonstown Road,

Artane,

Dublin 5