Mary White (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senators for their exemplary and eloquent contributions. The sense of bipartisanship in the Chamber during the debate was just fantastic. We are all of the same mind on this matter. Everyone who participated in this debate will be privileged to be part of the drive to bring an end to discrimination whereby older people are obliged to retire at 65.

This is the European Year of Active Ageing and Intergenerational Solidarity. We must work harder in order to bring younger and older people together in order that they might understand each other better. There is certainly a divide and young people think one thing, while their older counterparts think something completely different. In that context, we must enhance the dialogue between the two generations. In the 1960s I was involved in the youth culture. It was an exciting time.