Mary White (Fianna Fail)

For God's sake the Leas-Chathaoirleach must listen. I must get it on the record. We are trying to create a revolution in society. We are all getting older and want to be feted, looked after and appreciated. Civil servants who entered the public service before April 2004 are forced to retire at the age of 65 regardless of their wishes. I have had approximately six public meetings in the Dublin South-East constituency on a new approach to ageing and ageism and there have been continual outbursts of emotion from attendees whose hearts are broken because they do not want to retire. Perhaps more people want to retire, but a considerable number who are reaching the age of 65 do not want to retire for many reasons including economic, intellectual stimulation and social networking — three good arguments for staying in a job. Most older people love their jobs and do not find them a bore.

I propose that mandatory retirement in the public and private sector must go and that we introduce phased retirement. One day a person has a job and the next day he or she has no job. A gradual form of retirement should be introduced, for example, working every second week. People drop dead after retirement because they loved their jobs. Professor Seamus Caulfield spoke at one of my meetings and said that a person goes to bed at the age of 64 as an asset to the State and wakes up on his or her 65th birthday as a liability to the State, which has to start paying his or her pension.

I do not want to detain the Leas-Chathaoirleach, who has been patient.