Seanad debates

Thursday, 20 December 2018

Public Service Superannuation (Age of Retirement) Bill 2018: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages

 

1:05 pm

Photo of Patrick O'DonovanPatrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank everybody who contributed on the Bill in the Seanad and Dáil. This is historic legislation and should be noted. I thank everybody for their contributions because what we have done today will allow people in the public service who have a contribution to make to continue to make that contribution, notwithstanding other issues. On Committee Stage, reference was made to 70 being the new 65. I wish everybody who will avail of this measure well. It is reforming legislation in respect of how Ireland now views people who are working until 65 and beyond. I thank the staff in my Department who put it together and the Members of the House who contributed. I look forward to further engagement.

I have been in the Seanad on a number of occasions over the past 12 months, both to initiate and to conclude legislation. We have had robust and very informative discussions and a lot of very good engagement both when I was representing the Department of Finance and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. As I have said here before, if the level of engagement and legislative scrutiny that takes place here took place in the other House, we might have far better legislation. I am not saying that the other House produces bad legislation by the way.

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