Mandatory retirement ages ‘outdated’, says Oireachtas Committee
However, the report of the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality, which held hearings on the Employment Equality (Abolition of Mandatory Retirement Age) Bill, 2014, shows that employers’ body Ibec is opposed to the legislation, not least because of the financial cost to its members.
The report concludes that while it was the norm for people in many areas, particularly in the public sector, to retire at a set age, such as 65, “this approach is outdated”. “People are living longer, healthier lives and making decisions on a more long-term basis,” it said. “Increasingly, public figures in the media, arts, universities, politics, among other walks of life, are working well into their 70s and beyond, often on a freelance or self-employed basis. Their ongoing contribution to Irish life is widely appreciated and acknowledged.