Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Fianna Fáil supports this Bill which, like our Employment Equality (Amendment) Bill 2016, seeks to abolish mandatory retirement. We believe we should 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 most can enjoy. With that in mind I believe it is time to abolish mandatory retirement so that people can continue to work beyond normal retirement age should they so wish. This has been our stated position since 2012 and is why we introduced the Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012 in Seanad Éireann which, like the Bill being discussed, also sought to abolish mandatory retirement.

In 2012 Fianna Fáil issued a new policy document, Active Ageing and Quality Caring: A Fianna Fáil Policy Paper to Promote the Human Potential and Human Rights of our Older Irish Citizens. The document was published by the former Senator, Mary White, on the party's behalf and she introduced the Bill in the Seanad in 2012. In that policy paper we point out that we have the opportunity to benefit our society by harnessing the social and economic potential of older people and at the same time to benefit our ageing citizens by responding to their desire to participate in society whether socially or economically.

In order to broaden choice and rights, Fianna Fáil seeks the end of the compulsory retirement of persons at the age of 65, whether in the public or 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.

In Ireland today, people are living longer and have more years of healthy active living than previous generations enjoyed. Today, a woman who reaches the age of 65 has an average life expectancy of 20 further years while a man can anticipate 17 additional years of life. We have an ever-growing number of older people in our midst. Their numbers are projected to double in number from some 500,000 today to 1 million in less than 20 years. It is simply wrong that people who are productive, working, contributing to society, paying tax, healthy and who want to keep working should be compelled to retire. In Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Employment Equality (Repeal of Retirement Age Provisions) Regulations came into force on 6 April 2011. The effect of those regulations was to repeal the legislation which permitted an employer to terminate the employment of an employee who reached 65 without that being deemed unfair dismissal or unlawful age discrimination. Compulsory retirement based on age is discrimination. Unless there are convincing reasons, such as health and safety concerns, workers should have the right to choose when they retire. When Canada ended mandatory retirement last year, its Human Rights Commission pointed out that we are not born with date stamps saying our fitness for work expires at 65.

A major study carried out by the EU, published in January 2012, found that almost half of Irish people would like to continue working after they reach pension age entitlement and far exceeded the EU average of one third being so inclined. Older people who want to continue working after pension or retirement age do so because they feel fit, active and capable or they wish to maintain their current income level. It is wrong that people who have worked all their lives are forced to retire at age 65. The contributory pension is not payable until one reaches the age of 66. People who retire at 65 are forced to apply for jobseeker's benefit at €188 for 12 months until they reach the age of 66 and their pension entitlements kick in. There is also a significant difference, €42 in the amount paid for the pension and the jobseeker's allowance. Recently a man came to my office who had worked with the Waterford local authority since he was 18 and he had to retire at age 65. He told me it was the first time in his life he had to apply for jobseeker's benefit and it broke his heart. He always boasted of the fact that he had never had to sign on in his life. He was fit and healthy and still had much to offer. There are more people aged 65 on the live register claiming jobseeker's benefit than any other age group. We all know that. The age to collect the State pension will rise to 67 in 2021 and to 68 in 2028. Future incomes for those retiring before reaching State pension age will become an increasing problem. I likened it recently to a runaway train, that is coming towards us all. Over 1 million people will be aged over 65 in 20 years' time. We have to make provision for that. It is a source of real fear for people that their retirement may not be financially secure. This morning I met Justin Moran of Age Action who fully supports this Bill and what it is trying to achieve. Fianna Fáil fully supports it too. It may not suit every employee. House of our support in this matter.

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