Up till around 1978, female civil servants were compelled, under the prevailing regulations, to resign from their job on marriage. Despite the regulations, I personally know of at least two cases in the Education Department where female married employees were permitted to hold their jobs.

A considerable number of female employees took the opportunity to return to work after raising their children when the Government relaxed the regulations because it was finding it difficult to recruit enough professionally-trained staff to cope with dire shortages in the public sector.

A one-off opportunity not made known to the employees directly concerned was presented by the Government in the early 1990s. The concession made it possible for former public servants to pay their Social Security contribution arrears for the period they were not employed. Only a few were aware of this short-lived scheme.

Having asked a senior member of the Cabinet recently about the chances of re-introducing the scheme, I was told that it was a one-off opportunity. As the issue affects a considerable number of female state employees, I cannot understand why a time limit was imposed to benefit the chosen few and discriminate against others who were not aware of its existence.

I personally know of a case of an ex-State employee who was employed for about five years before getting married. She subscribed to the scheme in spite of opting not to be re-employed and is presently receiving a full pension.

I was employed for six years before marriage, compelled to resign on marriage, and have been in full-time employment for the last 18 years. On termination of my 24-year career due to reaching retirement age, I will be receiving a reduced pension. How's that for fairness?

Now that the Government is rightly promoting and facilitating conditions to keep married women active in the workforce to increase female participation that presently ranks among the lowest in the EU, it is demeaning to have a number of them cheated and deprived of a fraction of their well-deserved pension rights.