SOCIAL PROTECTION MINISTER Heather Humphreys has said she will be bringing proposals on the pension age to Government before this year’s budget.
The recommendation has been delayed going to Government, with the minister previously stating that she would bring proposals as back as April.
Speaking to reporters in Kilkenny at the Fine Gael think-in, she said it’s broadly agreed that people should be allowed to work longer, and as a result will get a higher pension.
She said that gives people choice and options, “and I think that’s right”.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has stated that the pension age should not rise above 66.
He said additional PRSI contributions will be needed to ensure the pension age is not increased.
“People should also be allowed to work on if they wish and continue to pay PRSI so they can qualify for a full pension. Flexibility will be key,” he said.
Martin said a “fair and sustainable approach” will be required to give people certainty.
The Pension Commission report published last October said that the State pension age should rise by three months each year from 2028 until it hits 67 in 2031.
The report also recommended that it should then gradually increase to 68 by 2039.
However, the Oireachtas Social Protection Committee recommended that the State pension should be retained at its current age of 66 and that changes to employers’ PRSI contribution rates should be examined by the Commission on Welfare and Taxation to determine the fairest way to increase the rates.
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