Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. I acknowledge the commitment in the programme for Government and I am glad this will be a focus of her Ministry. That is welcome. However, all the commitment in the programme for Government does is change the name of the payment. I welcome the revocation of the requirement for those who go on jobseeker's payments at 65 to seek work. It was a very silly rule that expected people to go around with CVs at 65 years of age, after working for 40 or 50 years and paying 40 or 45 years of contributions. I am glad that it will be addressed and I hope the Minister will deal with it as urgently as she has said.

As of last month there were 4,499 65 year olds on a jobseeker's payment. As I have said, some of these people started working when they were 15. At 65 they have worked for 50 years. I hope the Minister will acknowledge that providing for them through jobseeker's payments, as is the case today, is really inappropriate.

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