Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 May 2017
663. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he and his Government colleagues have given consideration to aligning the retirement age for public servants with the pension age; if he will, in particular, allow those who work in the public service and who wish to continue in their employment beyond the age of 65 to do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19477/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn Interdepartmental Working Group, chaired by my Department, was established early in 2016 to examine the issues arising from prevailing retirement ages for workers in both the public and private sectors, in the context of the current age of entitlement to the State Pension and the scheduled increases to the State Pension age in 2021 and 2028.
The Group, whose Report was agreed by Government last August, considered policy around retirement age in both the public and private sectors, examining implications arising from retirement ages now and in the future. The Group identified a set of framework principles to underpin policy in the area and made a number of recommendations assigned to Government Departments and Employer bodies for follow-up in that regard. A copy of the Report is available online at http://www.per.gov.ie/en/report-of-the-interdepartmental-group-on-fuller-working-lives/.
On foot of one of the recommendations of the Report, my Department, with Public Service employers, was tasked to review the current statutory and operational considerations giving rise to barriers to extended participation in the public service workforce up to and including the current age of entitlement to the Contributory State Pension. This review is currently underway and is expected to be completed in Q2 2017. Future policy in this area will be considered by Government following the outcome of this review.
Any change in the compulsory retirement ages for public servants will require primary legislation.
