Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

People are living longer, which is welcome, so we need to look at the mandatory retirement age. This is just one example of many. I am dealing with a person on a community employment, CE, scheme in Carlow. She is an excellent supervisor whose employment will end in September because she will have reached the age of 66 and must leave. She has been in the employment for 15 years and has vast experience in this position. The good news is that new legislation is coming into law in 2024, but in the meantime, can people who are interested in staying on get some sort of concession or help to allow them to stay on, because the new legislation is not coming in until 2024? Emergency services and transport services across the country have also been hit by this rule. People who are in the full of their health are being made to retire. Will the Taoiseach please look at this? I know the Minister for Social Protection will also look at it.

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