Cecilia Keaveney (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 822: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the progress being made in relation to bringing forward the introduction of an entitlement for people to choose to work beyond the current age of retirement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2370/06]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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An increase in workforce participation of older people is one of the more important means of ensuring the sustainability of pensions systems in the future and has been recognised as such internationally.

It is important that we encourage and facilitate people who would like to continue to work beyond normal retirement age. The Government is already committed to removing the retirement condition associated with the retirement pension so that people will not have to leave work before qualifying for a pension. In budget 2006, I announced the introduction of an earnings disregard for recipients of non-contributory pensions, which will lessen the impact of working on these pensions. The Pensions Board in its report on the national pensions review has recommended further measures in the social welfare context and I will be considering the costs and practicality of introducing the suggested changes.

However, issues surrounding social welfare payments represent only one aspect of the problem. As I indicated at the publication of the national pensions review, we require a change in attitudes in relation to longer working from both employers and employees. Employers must seek to retain older employees and create the conditions which will make longer working both attractive and feasible for older workers. The creation of an entitlement for people to work beyond normal retirement ages would be a matter for my colleague the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.