Government must now shelve plans to increase in pension age
Labour Social Protection spokesperson Seán Sherlock has today said the government must now shelve plans to increase the pension age once and for all.
Speaking following the publication of an Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection report on the Commission on Pensions Deputy Sherlock said:
“The recommendations are to be welcomed and must not be ignored by the Government or the Minister. A key recommendation that must be actioned immediately is to give workers the right to a pension at the age of 65. This particular recommendation will come as a relief to many workers now approaching retirement who came into the labour market in their teens and have done nearly fifty years of work.
“They have paid up to fifty years of tax and social insurance contributions and it is unfair to ask them to wait any longer than necessary to receive their hard-earned state pension. The reality is that every day that passes is a day too long for people working in physically arduous jobs, on our building sites, people working as cleaners in our offices and our hospitals.
“Many people are tied into contracts that require them to retire at age 65. While some might choose to work longer if they could, many do not have that choice. These cross-party recommendations give workers that choice. We believe that Minister Humphries cannot proceed with increasing the pension age and the Government cannot kick this can further down the road any longer. The public have had their say and they want it put to bed.”