Compulsory retirement age for public sector staff set to rise to 70

The Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe said the decision of State employees to remain on after the traditional retirement age of 65 would be optional. This now means thousands of public service staff will in future be permitted to work until the age of 70 under new Government reforms. Minister Donohue said there would be no changes to minimum retirement ages.

The new reforms, which were agreed by the Cabinet recently, will affect public service staff recruited prior to April 2004. The Department of Public Expenditure said public servants taken on after April 2004 either already have a retirement age of 70 or have no compulsory retirement age.

The new changes would also not apply to frontline groups such as gardaí, firefighters, defence force personnel and prison officers who are required to retire earlier than other public service staff due to the nature of their work and who have accelerated pension schemes.

Minister Donohoe maintained any increased costs involved for the State in permitting public service staff to work for longer would be offset by delays in not having to pay retirement lump sums for the personnel concerned.