Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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255. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the status of local authorities and public bodies insisting on a retirement age of 65 years of age and preventing employees from remaining in employment until 67 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46534/15]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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For public servants other than those who are members of the 2013-commenced Single Public Service Pension Scheme, responsibility for occupational pension terms and any maximum or compulsory retirement ages in particular sectors in general lies with the relevant employer, pension administrator or Government Department in the first instance.

I understand that public servants who began working in a public service body prior to 1 April 2004 normally have a maximum retirement age of 65 years under their terms and conditions of employment.

Insofar as mandatory retirement at age 65 years for such staff prevails in the local authorities and public bodies, its operation would be a matter, respectively, for the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, and the various other responsible Ministers.

In the civil service, for which I am responsible, the maximum retirement age of 65 years applicable to civil servants recruited before 1 April 2004 is provided for in the Civil Service Regulation Act 1956, and also applies to such staff in bodies under the aegis of my Department.

It should be noted that maximum retirement ages can be lower than the standard age for certain occupations, for example gardaí and military personnel; this also applies in the case of members of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme.

Any consideration of changes to existing public service compulsory retirement ages would need to have regard to the service-delivery requirements of the particular sectors, existing terms and conditions of employment, including pension provision and other entitlements of the staff concerned, workforce planning issues and impacts on the public finances.

The mandatory retirement age (usually 65 years) as it applies in the workplace both in the public and private sectors of the economy and the age of eligibility for the State Pension (currently 66 years, rising to 67 in 2021 and 68 in 2028) has been the subject of some initial consultations by my officials with relevant Government Departments. Given the wide ranging nature of the issue and the complexities involved across the economy, my intention is to bring a Memorandum to Government to establish an Interdepartmental Working Group to facilitate the necessary detailed consideration of the issue.