Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I met Carlow County Fire and Rescue Service members the other day and four of them told me that they are nearing 58 years of age. They want to be able to stay on when they turn 60 but the current rules do not provide for this. All other county council staff, as the Taoiseach knows, can stay on until 70 years of age. It is widely known that retirement age is only 55 for these firefighters and an annual medical has to be passed for them to stay on, which is totally understandable. If they fail, naturally enough they have to retire and the limit is 60 years of age. We are facing a crisis in the emergency services. Can the Government consider extending the retirement age across the country, once staff pass their medical, to at least 63 or 64?

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