Sinn Féin TD for Dublin South West Seán Crowe has said that working beyond 65 must always be a choice that workers make for themselves, saying that they deserve their pension at the full rate and should be treated fairly and with dignity.

Speaking in the Dáil last night on a Sinn Féin motion calling on the Government to reintroduce the Transition Pension for those who are 65 and to scrap its plans to raise the retirement age further, Teachta Crowe said:

“The Government intends to raise the pension age to 67 from next year. Forcing people to work for years longer when they were planning and expecting to retire is wrong. It is even more wrong because those of us in this Parliament who are making these decisions and forcing them on people are not being asked to do the same.

“In 2028, the Government intends to raise the pension age to 68. This has been met with widespread opposition from trade unions and the wider workforce. My own union, SIPTU, launched its Stop67 campaign. It understands that many workers, especially manual workers, cannot physically do the work that they have done for decades. Bricks and blocks do not get lighter as people age.

“Under pressure during the last election, one Government party, Fianna Fáil, promised to at least restore the transition pension so that those aged 65 did not have to sign on for the dole for a year after retirement. So far, An Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil have not delivered on that promise.

“By removing the transition pension, the last Government unofficially raised the retirement age to 66. As a result, many 65-year-olds who plan to retire cannot afford to stop working. This is unfair, callous, and wrong. The Government must stop its attempt to force through the planned increase of the State pension age to 67 in 2021. It must restore the transition pension and the right to retire at 65. Those workers have worked hard all their lives, paid their taxes and paid into the system. They deserve their pension at the full rate. They should be treated fairly and with dignity.

“Working beyond 65 must always be a choice that workers make for themselves. Some may wish to keep working and should be enabled to do so. Others will want to retire and enjoy the fruits of their labour. No one else should force them to make those decisions.”