Withholding of woman’s pension over lack of Public Service Cards reprehensible say WP

The Workers’ Party have said that the withholding of a 70 year old woman’s State Pension for more than 18 months because she refuses to register for a Public Services Card (PSC) is reprehensible and is proof that the card is the genesis of a compulsory national identity card.

Cork Workers’ Party Councillor Ted Tynan has called for the immediate payment of the woman’s pension and arrears and for similar payments to be made to anybody else who has not registered for the card but otherwise qualifies for the relevant payment.

Cllr. Tynan said: “This vindictive withholding of a woman’s primary source of income is utterly disgraceful and is clear proof that the Public Services Card’s first and foremost purpose is as a National ID card.  This has grave implications for civil liberties and raises serious data protection issues as the card holder has no access whatsoever to the information stored on the electronic chip embedded in the card”.

The Workers’ Party have called on the Minister for Finance, Pascal Donohoe to explain his statement of as recently as last May (2017) when the minister stated that “it is not and will not be compulsory for citizens to get the (Public Services) card”.

Cllr. Tynan said the government had been completely dishonest when announcing and promoting the card in denying that it was the beginnings of a National ID card.  “The cat is now out of the bag” he said.  “If they can withhold a pensioner’s weekly payment on the basis of not registering for this card, they can withhold every other entitlement up to and including the right to vote at elections or indeed, at some stage in the future,  deny the right to someone’s liberty itself”.