Sir, – Your editorial "Public v private: A glaring inequality in pension provision" (October 4th) fails to mention the major reduction in pension benefits for new entrants to the public service. Pensions for new entrants (since 2013) are based on career average salaries and not final salary as the editorial suggests, with the minimum retirement age set to the social welfare pension age, currently 66 and rising to 68 by 2028. Public servants recruited since 1995 pay full PRSI contributions and their occupational pensions are integrated with the social welfare pension system.
The essential issue here is the tax concessions afforded to large pension provisions, whether public or private. Lower-paid workers in all occupations will face major reductions in their income on retirement, especially if they are paying the exorbitant home rental costs now current in Ireland. The solution is comprehensive pension provision for all, not reductions in the current pension provision for public servants. – Yours, etc,
DONAL McGRATH,
Greystones, Co Wicklow.