asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether he will consider introducing legislation to lower the qualifying age limit for the old age contributory pension to 65 years for men and 60 years for women in view of the large public demand for such lowering of the age limit.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Age Limit for Old Age Contributory Pensions.
54.
The existing scheme of old age (contributory) pensions, which provides for payment of pension at age 70, came into operation as recently as January, 1961, and the experience has been insufficient to enable conclusions to be reached as to possible improvements. I may say, however, that the question of making such improvements, including the possibility of a lower pensionable age, is always in my mind.
Apart from its being always in the Minister's mind, and I am sure it is, would he, in view of the fact that the qualifying age for pension is 65 for men and 60 for women in most European countries, give immediate consideration to the matter, remembering that we may have to change our social welfare legislation in this respect if we become members of EEC?
Most of these countries operate a retirement pension scheme. There is no retirement condition attaching to the contributory old age pension scheme in operation here. One of the many matters that will have to be examined, if there is any proposal to reduce the age at which the contributory old age pension is payable, will be whether or not there should be a retirement condition attached.
There is very little difference between a retirement pension and an old age contributory pension.
Of course there is. There is what amounts to a means test in the case of retirement pensions.
I am talking of contributory pensions.
It is a condition in the case of a retirement pension that the person no longer works. In the case of a contributory old age pension the person is entitled to continue working if he can obtain work.
There is no means test in the old age or retirement pension?
There is a condition in the retirement pension that the recipient be not working or earning money. There is no such condition in our contributory pension legislation.