Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for the evidence they have given us.

From the start, I will say that while I can follow the meeting on the monitor, I will have to go because I have an appointment with a radio station in about half an hour. I apologise for that. I will get back if I can. I really welcome this discussion. The abolition of mandatory retirement is a very long-standing Sinn Féin policy. We have been campaigning in this space for well over a decade. I brought forward legislation that would have the same effect as this Bill. To be fair, it matters not to me where the legislation comes from as long as it gets passed.

While I am not sure it is shared by any of the other parties, we have a fundamental belief that workers at the age of 65 should have the choice to continue working if they are able. I hate using that term. When you are 64 years and 364 days, you do not have to check whether you are able for work. You just get up, get out and do it. However, there is an assumption that, at 65, you have to check if you are able. It is the difference between falling over and having a fall, is it not? I do not know at what point that happens. I use the caveat "if they are able" because that is the general parlance used. We believe that workers should have that choice at the age of 65, which may suit some people who work on their feet all day, perhaps in hairdressing, construction or certain areas of healthcare. I represented healthcare workers for years and know they have that calendar in their head and are watching the date, ready to go out the door. That is what they want. However, others want to be able to work on.

It is very welcome that we are having this discussion. It is great. I was checking back over previous debates in the Dáil and Deputy Carroll MacNeill, who is still a junior Minister, said that there is no mandatory retirement age but that is, of course, nonsense because, in real life, there is for many workers. It is good that the Government is now recognising that there is a mandatory retirement age. It is also good that other parties are recognising that making people work compulsorily until the age of 67 or 68 is not fair and that denying them their pension is equally not fair.

The figures presented by the Retirement Planning Council of Ireland show that 60% of women and 40% of men want the option to work on. I will ask everyone the following question. In the case of those figures and that 60% of women, is the desire to continue to work on linked only to the need to get extra stamps? Is there a difference because there is a fairly stark difference between 60% of women and 40% of men? Is that because men generally do not take time out for caring responsibilities, although that is not true across the board? Is it because men have their stamps and can go? Do the witnesses know the reason? I would be grateful if they could offer a view on that.