Age Action is one on a number of agencies that is calling for the State Pension to be increased by €53 in the next Budget. Monaghan native Celine Clarke, who is head of Advocacy at the organisation, says the pension needs to be benchmarked against average earnings.
Speaking on this morning's Joe Finnegan Show, Ms Clarke highlighted, that the number of people over the age of 65 in receipt of the pension falling into 'risk of poverty' has increased. She said that one in five people are now at risk of poverty and just two years ago that figure was one in 10.
Ms Clarke added that if the State Pension had kept pace with the cost of living and inflation, that figure would not, now, be so high.
"In Ireland we have very, very low private and occupational pension cover relative to other European countries. So, the majority of us do depend on the State Pension as the bedrock of the Social Welfare system.
"Also, the State Pension in this country, despite what might be heard from political voices, is actually relatively low in terms of its rate and the replacement earnings of the State Pension is low," she said.
