36,000 people, two-thirds of them women, have had their Irish state pensions cut by as much as €1,500 (£1,275) a year, as a result of changes introduced in 2012. While those entitled to a full pension have been unaffected by the changes, many of those who would have been in line for smaller pensions have lost out. Justin Moran of Age Action said, ‘It is a myth that the state pension was protected by the last government. It was cut, drastically cut, for tens of thousands of older people.’ In 2012 the government changed the eligibility criteria for a full pension, arguing that the changes were necessary to protect ‘core payments’ and ensure sustainability of the state pension; but one side effect of the changes has been to diminish the entitlements of some 36,000 pensioners. Women, who historically would have spent more time out of the workforce, have been hit particularly hard.