Joan Burton (Labour Party)

candidate Dáil election

Dear Joan,

would you support a change in the Finance Act recently gone through the Dail regarding pensions.

The new Act requires an income of € 18,000.- p.a. before a private pension holder can avail of an ARF to supplement his state pension. This means he has to take out an anuity with the insurance industry. A annuity rates are so low [ average 5% p.a. of final fund] it means that every police holder is donating up to 1/3 of his fund to the industry [ life expect. in Ireland male:78/fem:82]

People who have paid into a private pension plan can only avail of an AMRF which means no access until 75, in reality it means for pensioners cancel other securities and draw addit. income from taxpayers subsidies.

Yours

Dear Joan,

The secret nature of the High Court hearing that sanctioned the transfer of €3.7 billion from the National Pension Reserve Fund to AIB was strongly criticised by you, saying that "Secret courts are something that you associate with totalitarian countries" and "Secret court hearings are an anathema in a democratic society".

What is your position on secret Family Law courts in Ireland where fathers regularly lose the right to live with their children simply due to the breakdown of the relationship with their mother?

Do you believe that the hearings should be made public without identifying the parties so that Not only must Justice be done; it must also be seen to be done?


Study finds mothers get children after split ( www.irishtimes.com )

"Joint custody was understood as joint legal custody, and in 63 of the 70 cases the children lived mainly with their mother".

What is your position on the right of a child to have both guardians act JOINTLY on their behalf being ignored by schools and hospitals? Equality Tribunal cases DEC-S2010-045, DEC-S2010-049 and DEC-S2010-046