Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister will be aware, since the abolition of the retirement pension, people aged 65 and over who have been compulsorily retired have to apply for jobseeker's allowance initially for one year. I believe it will be two years when the pension age reaches 67. First, the amount is lower. Second, it has given rise to obvious difficulties. I know the same criteria do not apply. The test as to whether someone is actively seeking employment once they are over 65 is not as rigid. I raised this question with the previous Government and was told that an interdepartmental committee was looking at this to see if there was some way to solve it. Can the Minister give us any update on the deliberations of that committee?

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