No age limits in civil service recruit changes

THE proposal to open up civil service recruitment to the private sector does not mean privatising the public service.

It simply means abolishing age limits on recruitment and reclassifying all grades as entry grades.

The downside is that older recruits will have less time to build up a pension. Shorter careers also have less opportunity for further promotion.

Many elderly workers are already thinking seriously about early retirement. For the last year or so, the rumour machine has fuelled anxiety about taxation of retirement lump sums.

The Government’s response is silence. The surge of a sudden brain drain will not be good for the country. Organisations work best with a mixture of both youth and experience.

Michael Mernagh

Raheens

Carrigaline

Co Cork