A chara, - You reported (Dec 5th) a discussion at an Oireachtas committee concerning an anomaly in the Army pension system identified by Fine Gael.
Apparently Army officers who joined the force after 1995 and who must retire at 56, 58 or 60 face having to survive on a reduced pension until they reach 65.
It appears that this anomaly is because the Department of Social and Family Affairs does not pay out on pensions until the age of 65 and it was not designated for groups, like the military, who have a compulsory retirement age lower than 65.
Fine Gael have identified this as a pressing problem - except that a person joining the Army in 1995 at the age of 21 is not due to retire (eg at age 56) until 2030, some 23 years hence.
Might I suggest to Fine Gael that there are more pressing problems facing us in the here and now.
They would serve the public interest better if they turned their attention to devising answers to the issues of today rather than looking for problems that are 23 years away or rehashing innuendos from 13 years ago. - Is mise,
DONNACHA MAGUIRE, Fr McCullen Park, Kells, Co Meath.