Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister expressed mild concern about how hard done by the people in the North are. If her expressions of concern are genuine she might join us and support our call for a referendum on Irish unity to bring about the unification of our country. Then we can have an all-island approach to the pension age and pension rates.

As we all know, this was a major issue in the election last February. People made it very clear how they felt about their right to retire at 65. My constituency office was inundated with calls and emails on the issue. There was significant union support for our proposals. Our position remains the same. People who have worked and paid taxes all their lives deserve the option of drawing down their pension at the age of 65. Some people will choose to remain in work, but we want to ensure that those who wish to retire at the age of 65 can do so. This is so important for those who have worked in hard, physical jobs for decades. It is also important for the worker who wants to retire and enjoy time with his or her family and friends while he or she is still in good health.

The Government's policy of having people sign on the dole for a year when they reach the age of 65 is, frankly, insulting and demeaning. It has to stop. Deputies can retire and draw down their pensions at the age of 50, so it is quite unbelievable that people in the Minister's Government, with those terms and conditions, seek to ensure that others cannot receive a pension until they are 66, 67 or perhaps even 68. Government Deputies and Ministers are happy to have one rule for themselves and another rule for everybody else. They have no respect for working people who look forward to their retirement at the age of 65, in particular those in physical jobs. The Minister wants to make their working lives even longer without giving them any options around their own lives and their own pensions. This is nothing other than a political decision. The Minister's Government and the parties involved need to stop flip-flopping and changing their minds. The Minister needs to stop referring the issue on to commissions and kicking this down the road.

Rather than keeping the retirement age at 66, I ask that the Minister brings it back down to 65 by way of the transition pension. We know what people want as does the Minister. We choose to act on what people want while the Minister chooses to ignore it. People made it crystal clear during and after the election that they want to be able to choose when they retire. That choice includes drawing down a State pension at the age of 65. Sinn Féin in government would do precisely that. If the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, will not listen to the people, we certainly will.

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