Pre-Budget Submission to Department of Social Protection

A big thank you to the 497 individuals who completed our annual pre-Budget Survey. The submission was informed by your responses and by Motions passed at our Annual Parliament Meeting on 13th May.

Excerpt from Submission submitted 30th May 2026:

“Our members made us aware of booklets made available by your Department at events such as 50 Plus Shows and commend your efforts at getting information to older people. Our volunteers did a review of the Dept of Social Protection Guide for Retired and Older People Booklet – they are at a loss as to why 2 pages outline Auto-enrolment – this does not apply to the current cohort of older people. However, many of them who have been denied access to increases in their own occupational pensions for up to 20 years without recourse to state mechanisms to resolve note that NAERSA will be supervised by the Pensions Authority, the same authority which does not currently uphold their rights as recipients of existing schemes.”

“Our MDO attended SIF Wednesday 27^th May and found page 14 and 15 of participants document for Workshop on Social Inclusion of Older People had several references to Auto-enrolment and MyFutureFund – this scheme will have no positive impact for several decades and does not warrant inclusion with reference to supports or planning for the existing cohort of older people. We ask you to reconsider this approach of including the scheme in all references to older people, at the very least please include context of it planning for future older people.”