Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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72. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on the gap between the age at which the State pension becomes payable and the age at which public servants must retire; her plans to address this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [50586/17]

Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2011 provided for the necessary amendments to increase the State pension age in line with the National Pensions Framework. It provided for an increase in the age for qualification for the State Pension from 66 years to 67 years from 2021, and a further increase to 68 years from 2028. It also discontinued the State Pension (transition) for new claimants with effect from 1 January 2014. As the State Pension (transition) could only be paid if the recipient had retired, and given such a criterion does not apply to the State pension (contributory), this removed a significant disincentive to those who did not wish to retire at State pension age. The Deputy should note that there is no legally mandated retirement age in the State, and the age at which employees retire is a matter for the contract of employment between them and their employers. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is responsible for the terms and conditions of employment and pensions of public servants, including the age at which they may be required to retire. I am informed by that Department that the specific compulsory retirement age and minimum pension age provisions which affect individual public servants reflect their particular employment sector and time of original recruitment.

An interdepartmental group on fuller working lives was chaired last year by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to consider policy around retirement age in both the public and private sectors and it reported in August 2016. Any question regarding the work of that group, and the retirement age of public servants, should be addressed to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.