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

I move:

That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to amend the Employment Equality Act 1998 to allow for the abolition of mandatory retirement where an employee can provide evidence of full fitness to work as required in their contract of employment.

This Bill arises from a policy document issued by Fianna Fáil in 2012. That policy document gave rise to a Bill, published by the then Senator Mary White, entitled the Employment Equality (Amendment) Bill 2012. Now, in 2016, I am pleased, alongside Deputy Butler, to publish the Employment Equality (Amendment) Bill of 2016 which again seeks to end compulsory retirement in this country. To broaden choice and rights, Fianna Fáil seeks an end to compulsory retirement of persons at the age of 65, whether in the public or the private sectors, and to make it unlawful to require a person to retire at or above the age of 65 unless there are clearly specified grounds justifying such compulsory retirement, such as competence and performance.

Fianna Fáil believes that we should do what we can to recognise the potential of our ageing population to contribute to and enrich our society in many diverse ways given their talents, experience and wisdom and the many years of healthy life expectancy which, happily, most can enjoy. With that in mind, it is time to abolish mandatory retirement in order that people can continue to work beyond normal retirement age should they wish to do so, and that is precisely what this Bill proposes to do.

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