Welcome from the Minister
Thank you for visiting our Green Paper on Pensions website. You are very welcome to this site and I hope you will find it helpful and informative.
The Green Paper on Pensions covers the background to the Irish pension system and a broad range of issues related to social welfare, private, occupational and public sector pensions and incentives for supplementary pension saving. The ageing of our population and the affordability challenges facing Ireland in the decades ahead are outlined and a number of scenarios and options are discussed.
The purpose of the Green Paper is not to recommend any particular course of action but rather to set out clearly the current situation and the implications, from an economic and social perspective, of various courses of action that have been suggested.
This Paper marks the conclusion of an intensive review of our pension system, but more importantly, the beginning of a consultation process to decide how we, as a society and a Government, plan and secure pension provision into the future for generations to come. Given the importance and magnitude of the issue, I am anxious to ensure that the consultation process is as inclusive as possible and that people have ample time to study the Green Paper and to formulate their ideas and comments. Submissions can be made by email, post and fax – full details are available on the home page on this site. The Green Paper and its executive summary can also be downloaded directly from the site.
Behind all the text and statistics in this comprehensive paper is a desire all of us share to create a pension system that can be financially and socially sustainable in the face of demographic change. We face a significant challenge and some difficult choices if we are to realise this ambition.
It is a challenge that I and the Government are determined to meet so that current and future generations will have in place a pensions system that will deliver a secure and fulfilling retirement for all.
We need to consider and debate the type of retirement we want and how we might pay for it. I am pleased that we are about to embark on that debate and I encourage all of you to play your part and make your contribution.
Thanking you in advance for your valuable contribution.
Le gach dea-ghuí,
Minister for Social and Family Affairs
