Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Oireachtas social protection committee published its report last week in response to the Commission on Pensions. It recommends no further increases to the qualifying age for State pensions, which is welcome. Workers should be entitled to retire with a pension at 65 if they so choose.

The committee also supports the recommendation to allow workers to retire at 65 once they achieve the required contributions. The commission and the committee have finished their work. What happens next from a Government point of view? The programme for Government commits to action within six months of the Commission on Pensions completing its work. Will the Government's response include State pension provision for a long-term carers, a commitment to rule out pension age increases and – what needs to happen – a return to the right to retire at 65 and an end to mandatory retirement? I ask the Taoiseach to respond to each of those specific points.

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