Written answers

Tuesday, 27 September 2016

Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

Public Sector Staff

Photo of Willie PenroseWillie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

497. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the steps he is taking to implement the appropriate legislative changes or other which are required in order to enable persons who reach the retirement age of 65 years of age in public service jobs to continue, if they so desire, working in their places of employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26624/16]

Photo of Paschal DonohoePaschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy will be aware, in August I published the Report of the Interdepartmental Group on Fuller Working Lives which was agreed by Government.  The Group, which was chaired by my Department, considered policy around retirement age in both the public and private sectors, examining implications arising from retirement ages now and in the future. The report makes recommendations on a policy framework to address the issues identified and to support fuller working lives.

The Group identified a set of framework principles to underpin policy in this area and made the following recommendations to be implemented by the relevant Departments:

- The Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation is to ask the Workplace Relations Commission to prepare a code of practice around the issue of longer working;

- Employers should take steps to ensure that their policy on retirement age is clearly articulated;

- Employers and workers representatives should take measures to improve awareness among both workers and employers of options, rights and responsibilities around longer working;

- The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is to review, with public service employers, the barriers to extended participation in the public service workforce up to the age of entitlement to the State Pension;

- The Department of Justice is to ask the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission to ensure that appropriate guidance material is made available to employers on the use of fixed-term contracts beyond normal retirement age; and

- The Department of Education is to request SOLAS (The Further Education and Training Authority) and the Education and Training Boards in the context of the National Skills Strategy to develop appropriate solutions tailored to the needs of older workers in order to support them in staying attached to the workforce.

In relation to the public service specifically, I can report that work has commenced in my Department in preparation for a review of the barriers to extended participation in the public service workforce up to the age of entitlement to the State Pension.  This review will be carried out in association with public service employers.  Any further action that may be involved in terms of possible legislative change or otherwise, will be considered following that review.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.