Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 61: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will incentivise employers to give persons the option to continue in employment past the age of 65 as a means to providing a more flexible work environment, a more productive workforce and better off older persons in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18103/05]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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A number of factors can impact on a person's decision to work past the age of 65, including the availability of flexible work options and pensions issues. The Minister for Social and Family Affairs, who has responsibility for pensions policy, has recently asked the Pensions Board, in its review of national pensions strategy, to examine innovative ways of encouraging and allowing people to voluntarily work longer.

In addition, the recently published report of the forum on the workplace of the future recommends the development of a policy framework that removes the barriers to the continued participation in the workforce and facilitates older workers who wish to remain in the workforce. This recommendation will be considered by the high level group established to oversee the appropriate implementation of the recommendations contained in the report.

The OECD is also currently undertaking a review of policies for older workers in Ireland. This review will form part of a larger synthesis report for various OECD countries. The outcome of this review, which will be available in the autumn, will help to inform future policy direction in this area.

From my Department's perspective, we are conscious of the need to ensure the continued availability of employees in order to meet the needs of our economy. Creating the right environment to improve participation levels among all workers, including older workers, is increasingly becoming a key factor. The emphasis in the past has been towards those outside the workforce. However, in the light of future demographics, among other things, greater emphasis is now being put on increasing the skill levels of low skilled employees and in-company training. In this regard, the FÁS training budget has been significantly increased in 2005 by €65 million. Investment in training by employers and the development of programmes to facilitate both the unemployed and employees adapt their skills through further training and reskilling is critical to future employment growth and continuing employment for older workers.

The availability of a flexible working environment can also influence a person's decision to participate in the labour market. The national framework committee on work-life balance policies, which my Department chairs, has been given a specific remit to raise awareness and encourage the provision of work-life balance at the level of the enterprise. This committee, which was established under the social partnership process, comprises representatives from IBEC, ICTU, the Equality Authority and a number of Departments. The committee has undertaken and continues to undertake a range of activities, including the provision of financial assistance to organisations, information dissemination activities, seminars, and research activities.