This is welcome legislation from the Government. An increasing cohort of workers opt to work past their planned retirement age, some into their late 60s or even into their 70s. While this is fundamentally a personal choice for many, it would be naïve to ignore the external factors which put workers into a situation where they feel they have no choice but to keep working. These factors are direct results of failures by this Government and its Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael predecessors - failures that include the cost-of-living crisis, sky-high energy costs, chronic underinvestment in housing and a healthcare system that is bulging under the pressure. This Government has constantly failed to grasp the severity of the cost-of-living crisis. Grocery prices have risen by one third in just three years. Staples like chicken fillets have seen a staggering increase of 120%. How can older people enjoy a decent standard of living in retirement when the State pension fails to keep pace with inflation, let alone these outrageous price hikes? Every Member of this House knows a pensioner who has faced extraordinary energy bills or older people forced to leave their heating off for fear of the next bill. On one side of the crisis we have vulnerable pensioners, while on the other are energy providers like Electric Ireland, a major State-owned company posting record profits. Under Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, Ireland’s energy costs have gone from being among the most affordable in the EU-----

Sentiment score: -0.14

I am getting to it. It is the cost to them. Now, Ireland’s energy costs are the most expensive in the EU. The consequences are stark. Research carried out by ALONE shows one in three people over 65 are at risk of poverty. This is a national disgrace. After a lifetime of contribution to society, a third of our elders face possible poverty. Is it any wonder so many feel compelled to work past retirement age? I recently met a 69-year-old man who was forced to retire at 65, as per his contract. His reasons were simple and genuine. Despite his children holding full-time jobs, they struggled to save while renting. He returned to the workforce as a self-employed worker, not for himself but just so that he could help each of his children equally to get their own home. He told me he would love to retire like his friends but must put his family first. His story is not unique. It is the Ireland of today. We cannot let Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael dictate the narrative on retirement, with the mindset that you must work as long as you are fit to do so. After a lifetime of contribution, people deserve the right to retire at 65 with dignity, to enjoy that time, go on new adventures, take up new hobbies and spend quality time with their children and grandchildren. This legislation is a start but we must address the causes of financial insecurity for older people.

Sentiment score: 0.02