Age Action responds to ESRI proposal at increasing pension age to 70

national | worker & community struggles and protests | press release Thursday September 14, 2017 12:13 by aa - Age Action

Age Action Press Release - 13th Sept 2017

Age Action, Ireland’s leading advocacy organisation for older people, has expressed its opposition to another increase in the State Pension age.

The organisation was responding to media reports today ( http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/now-we-face-workin....html ) on proposals from the ESRI to increase the State Pension age to 70.

Age Action, Ireland’s leading advocacy organisation for older people, has expressed its opposition to another increase in the State Pension age.

The organisation was responding to media reports today ( http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/now-we-face-workin....html ) on proposals from the ESRI to increase the State Pension age to 70.

Justin Moran, Head of Advocacy and Communications, said: “The pension age is already due to rise to 68 over the next ten years and we would be absolutely opposed to any suggestion to increase it again.

Physically demanding

“Not everyone works in an office. Forcing workers in physically demanding jobs like construction, agriculture or healthcare to keep working as they age has serious health implications.

“The overwhelming majority of us are going to rely on the State Pension in retirement. We need to ensure it is fair and sustainable. But the solution is not simply to keep increasing the pension age.

“We need to abolish mandatory retirement, divert some of the money funding private pension tax breaks into the State Pension system and look at increasing social insurance contributions.”