Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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534.To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if her Department will put in place a temporary arrangement to allow prison officers who reach the age of 60 years prior to the pending legislation to extend the mandatory retirement to 62 years to continue working, similar to the arrangement put in place recently for fire fighters. [24836/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the current maximum retirement age of 60 years for prison officers is set out in Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004 and the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012.

While the Government recently approved increasing the mandatory retirement age to 62 years of age in a number of the uniform services, including the Irish Prison Service, this increased mandatory retirement age will need to be facilitated by amendments to the relevant legislation and related secondary legislation.

These changes are to be brought forward by the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform Paschal Donohoe, TD.

My Department has identified a suitable legislative vehicle which will allow for the relevant amendments to primary legislation and it is intended that revised legislation will be in place before the summer recess.

The secondary legislation is being prepared by my Department and that work is already underway.

The Deputy has raised the case of prison officers who are due to retire prior to the anticipated legislative changes. Unfortunately, no mechanism currently exists to consider or enable an extension to retirement age for prison officers.

Until the legislative changes are made, the Irish Prison Service does not have the discretion to extend retirement ages beyond what is currently provided for.

I have asked my officials to consider any other transitional arrangements that might be put in place.