Mary White (Fianna Fail)

I ask that the Leader provide time for a debate on older Irish citizens. In September last, the Leader of Fianna Fáil, Deputy Martin, asked me to prepare a policy document for Fianna Fáil on the issue of older people in Irish society. I spent the past six months meeting the different groups engaged in this area. Yesterday, Deputy Martin and I launched this document, which has the full support of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party, as official Fianna Fáil policy on older people in Irish society. There are 500,000 people over the age of 65 years in this country. In less than 20 years, there will be one million older people in this country.

My document addresses key issues such as human rights and choice in the workplace for older people. Fianna Fáil proposes to introduce a Bill on the abolition of mandatory retirement in the public and private sector. There is no reason a person should have to retire on reaching 65 years of age. This is age discrimination.