Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

While it is not the responsibility of my Department, I will strongly encourage that. Moreover, I expect most employers also would be positive in this regard. Again, we are in the middle of a lot of social change and there are a great number of people in their 60s who wish to remain working to the age of 66 or 70. On the other hand, this issue was discussed at the forum with all the 37 different organisations held last week to which I referred, when one man from the Irish Senior Citizens' Parliament noted that were one a 60-year-old steeplejack, no one would suggest one should continue to practise that job after the age of 60 on the grounds of health and safety alone. We are in the middle of a social change and social protection must reflect these population and demographic changes. In addition, however, employment and equality laws also must reflect them. Those laws are not within my remit but I certainly have discussed with colleagues the desirability of doing this and I would be happy for that to take place.