Sir, – The pension levy, brought in as an emergency measure, then extended and increased, is nothing less than robbery from the funds intended to ensure the continuity of guaranteed payments to those on defined benefit pensions. I have written to the Minister for Finance, who happens to be my constituency TD, and the Minister for Social Protection on this matter, without response. I happen to be a pensioner of a former state company whose fund is in severe deficit and whose members now face a substantial cut due on January 1st next.
Despite this, the “negative” fund is being levied most unfairly and unjustly. I continue to pay taxes to fund the pensions of state employees which, although recently cut, continue to benefit from increases due to the increments which accrue to them. My pension has had no increase since 2007 and now faces this drastic cut. The manifest unfairness of this is obvious. Whatever happened to the “grey power” marches which occurred over the medical card issue? Success at that time was achieved through political pressure. There is no obvious attempt at this time to show the outrage of pensioners over this robbery of private pension funds. It is time to make a stand before the budget! – Yours, etc,
GERRY McCORMACK,
Limerick.