Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator again for his contribution. Up to now, a person who retired at 65 because that was the retirement age in his or her contract of employment could only avail of an income support if he or she signed on at the local Intreo centre for jobseeker's benefit and declared that they were available for and genuinely seeking work. We all agreed that this was not a satisfactory position and that we should find a way to support a person who had to retire at aged 65 without obliging him or her to sign on. That was the commitment in the programme for Government and that is what this benefit payment for those aged 65 delivers.It provides a benefit payment for employed or self-employed people who are required to or who, in some cases, choose to retire when reaching age 65. The new benefit does not require a person to sign on or to engage in activation measures, or declare they are available for and genuinely seeking work. Recipients can choose to participate in a course of education while retaining their full payment entitlement.

It is important to note that anyone who retires at 65 should have the required contributions to qualify for this payment and, in fact, the contribution requirements to qualify for this payment are not as demanding as those to qualify for the State pension.

I do not have answers on the Senator’s breakdown of statistics and on the automated transfer process that he referenced but we will get back to him on those. I want to underline that this is linked to contributions paid rather than reaching an age, as such.