Mandatory pension scheme

Sir, – It seems from the lead story in The Irish Times that workers are soon going to have to pay about 6 per cent of their wages into a "mandatory pension" (News, August 23rd). Forgive me, but I thought there already was one, namely the State pension.

However, Regina Doherty has now said that “... the State pension is not designed to deliver full income adequacy in retirement”. Really? Why isn’t it? The only reason I can think of for her to say such a thing is that the Government simply intends to run the State pension into the ground.

By all means allow people to take out additional pensions if they wish, but the State pension, if it is fit for purpose, must be designed to guarantee everyone an adequate basic income in retirement. – Yours, etc,

RICHARD BARRETT,

READ SOME MORE

Dublin 6.