Ivana Bacik (Independent)

I am coming to the question the Senator asked but I thought I would share that with colleagues because a number of others had raised the issue of rehiring more generally in recent days and I did not have that information when I responded then.

On the specific issue the Senator raised on mandatory retirement age, I agree with him. It is something we should examine in this House and it was an issue we examined in the context of the public consultation committee hearings on the rights of older people. We will have a debate on that issue. The Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, has committed to come to the House on, I think, 12 June. That issue is one we should address in that debate because it is a very particular issue. I agree with the Senator that it encompasses people's rights - that of the right of people to continue working if they so wish. That is something we need to examine.