asked the Minister for the Environment the number of people over sixty-five employed in local authorities.
Written Answers. - Local Government Employment.
318.
The age limit for pensionable offices under a local authority in relation to which I am the appropriate Minister is 65, except where the office holder would not be entitled to a pension were he to retire at 65, in which event the age limit is the age at which he becomes so entitled. Local authorities may, however, retain, in a temporary capacity, officers who ceased to hold office in a pensionable capacity on reaching the age limit, provided steps are taken to fill the vacancy concerned in a permanent capacity not later than one month after the vacancy has occurred. Information regarding the number of local authority officers who are on retention on the foregoing basis at any given time is not available in my Department. The retention in a temporary capacity of officers in circumstances other than pending the permanent filling of a vacancy requires my specific approval and has only occurred in very few exceptional cases.
No statutory age limits apply in the case of local authority employees other than officers and the imposition of age limits, if any, in the case of such employees is a matter for individual local authorities. Information regarding the number of such employees who are over sixty five is not available in my Department.