Sir, – Weekend news reports suggested that Brendan Howlin and his Government might begin to reinstate the losses suffered by public sector pensioners since the financial bust. That is probably consistent with the Howlin contention back in 2011 that pensions are a “property right”. However, Mr Howlin and his fellow Ministers showed when they introduced the notorious pensions levy that it was a roperty right only for the public sector.
Many, many private sector workers (me included), who have suffered the impact of the pensions levy, have had to content themselves with a permanent pension reduction – or put it another way they have had to look cheerful while their life savings have been taken from them. Mr Howlin and his friends have kept a deathly silence about this.
Good luck to the public sector pensioners if they get their money reinstated, but Mr Howlin should be assured that private sector pensioners like me will be waiting in the long grass at the next general election. The Grey Revenge could be fierce. – Yours, etc,
MARTIN FITZPATRICK,
Howth Road,
Dublin 5