Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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248. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his position with regard to the mandatory retirement age in both the public service and private sector; the difficulties being faced by many retiring civil servants and public sector workers when they must retire at 65 years of age yet cannot access a pension until 66 years of age; if he will consider amending legislation in order to allow persons to be able to work until 66 years of age if they so wish; his views on whether the issue needs to be addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37437/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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An Interdepartmental Working Group, chaired by my Department was established in 2016 to examine the issues arising from prevailing retirement ages for workers in both the public and private sectors, in the context of the current age of entitlement to the State Pension and the scheduled increases to the State Pension age in 2021 and 2028. 

The Group, whose Report was agreed by Government in August 2016, considered policy around retirement age in both the public and private sectors, examining implications arising from retirement ages now and in the future. The Group identified a set of framework principles to underpin policy in the area and made a number of recommendations assigned to Government Departments and Employer bodies for follow-up in that regard.  A copy of the Report is available online at www.per.gov.ie/en/report-of-the-interdepartmental-group-on-fuller-working-lives.

In respect of the public service, and on foot of one of the recommendations of the aforementioned Report, my Department, with Public Service employers, was tasked with reviewing the current statutory and operational considerations giving rise to barriers to extended participation in the public service workforce up to and including the current age of entitlement to the Contributory State Pension.  In the context of the review, which is well advanced, meetings were held with employers from all public service sectors, including the civil service, local authority and health sectors, supplemented by further interactions and discussions with the employers. 

Future policy in this area will be considered by Government following the outcome of the review.

Any change in the compulsory retirement ages for public servants would require primary legislation.