National Pensions Framework

National Pensions Framework Announced!

Following the launch of the long awaited National Pensions Framework, by Minister Hanafin today at Government Buildings, Máiréad Hayes CEO of the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament (ISCP) welcomed the Framework but expressed her concern over the increase in the minimum age for the non-contributory State pension.

“The Parliament has always been of the view that any increase in the age of retirement should be voluntary with choices available to the person based on what is best for them.”  While we support the option to allow people to continue working longer, the mandatory age increase may not fully take the individual health and well-being of Older People into consideration.

Anna O’Farrell, Chairperson of the ISCP’s Pensions Committee, said that what was really needed was a sustainable contributory pension scheme with state guarantees to provide a pension of 50% of gross average industrial earnings on retirement rather than the 35% recommended in the Framework. “If the state can guarantee the banks, why can they not guarantee pensions?” asked Ms O’Farrell.

Ms. Hayes pointed out that there is a cumulative impact from a number of recent government decisions which together are increasing the risk of poverty amongst Older People in Ireland.

The Irish Senior Citizens Parliament recommended in their submission to the Green Paper on Pensions that “mandatory occupational pensions should be offered to all staff and staff should not be able to opt out.”

“We invite public participation in this debate – come to www.seniors.ie and let us know what you think”, concluded Ms Hayes.

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Retirement Age

Proposed Pension Age Increase

The Irish Senior Citizens Parliament is concerned that the reported increase in the minimum age for the non-contributory State pension might not fully take the individual health & well-being of Older People into consideration.

Responding to the press reports arising from the upcoming launch of the Government’s “National Pensions Framework” and Bank of Ireland’s announcement that it may raise its retirement age to 68, Máiréad Hayes CEO of the Parliament said that any change to retirement age must be gradual & must take the circumstances of the individual Older Person into account.

Minister of Social & Family Affairs, Mary Hanafin warned last October that the Government might raise the pension age. Finance Minister Brian Lenihan announced in Budget 2010 that future public servants would not qualify for a full pension until the age of 66, while the Dept. of Finance has indicated that the retirement age could be set at 70 for public servants. This was also an option mentioned in the McCarthy Report.

The ISCP welcomes the clarification by An Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, on the other hand, that there are no immediate plans to increase the existing retirement age for either public or private sector workers.  In particular we note his statement that the Pension Framework “would be a ‘very long-term framework’, setting out Government thinking on pensions and retirement age”.

Continuing Máiréad Hayes pointed out that there is a cumulative impact from a number of recent government decisions all of which are increasing the risk of poverty amongst Older People in Ireland. Pensions & retirement must be agreed in a coherent fashion and any changes must take both short-term & long-term objectives into consideration.

“We have today initiated public participation in this debate on our website – come to www.seniors.ie and let us know your views “, concluded Ms Hayes.

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