asked the Minister for Labour his Department's policy for a public education programme on retirement.
Written Answers. - Public Education on Retirement.
265.
I regard preparation for retirement as an aspect of continuous adult education, involving the acquisition by workers of information on the likely changes in their circumstances and their equipping themselves to cope with such changes.
Pre-retirement courses are currently provided by vocational education committees where demand is evident. Voluntary bodies in the field of education, some with Department of Education funding, are also active in helping individuals to prepare for retirement. Some employers, including the Civil Service, certain State bodies and a number of private companies have implemented pre-retirement programmes, usually as a result of negotiations between management and employee representatives. There is a voluntary body known as the Retirement Planning Council of Ireland representative of firms, educational interests and individuals, which is committed to retirement preparation. Government Departments and semi-State bodies are co-operating in the work of the council.
I welcome the growth of interest in the problems of transition from working life to retirement.