Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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416. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the timeline for the implementation of the Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill 2025; when the legislation will be enacted; and if the legislation will cover employees of a company (details supplied). [48196/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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The Employment (Contractual Retirement Ages) Bill 2025 was published on 1 April 2025.

The Bill will deliver a new employment right by providing that, in general, an employer may not enforce a contractual retirement age which is below the State Pension Age (age 66) if the employee does not consent to retire.

The Bill completed Committee Stage on 2 July 2025.

The timeline for the enactment of the Bill is a matter for the Oireachtas.

Once enacted, there will be an appropriate lead-in time in advance of commencement of the legislation during which there will be a communications campaign to ensure employers and employees fully understand the implications of this new employment right.

I cannot comment on whether the Bill will apply to the employees of a particular company. In general, the Bill will apply to employees who have a contract of employment which specifies a contractual retirement age which is below the pensionable age (currently 66) and who have completed a probationary period. Section 3(2) of the Bill specifies that it does not apply to employees with a maximum retirement age or maximum service limit (however expressed) that is set out in law.

There are existing guidelines available to both employees and employers to assist them in following best practices when dealing with retirement. The WRC’s Code of Practice on Longer Working sets out guidance for employers, employees and their representatives to follow during the engagement between employers and employees in the run up to retirement, including responding to requests to work beyond the retirement age.