Brian Stanley calls to end forced retirement and extend work rights
Brian Stanley welcomed a bill to end forced retirement at 65 and give older workers the option to continue working. He said he will support the bill while urging further measures on trade union representation and collective bargaining.
Brian Stanley described the bill as a positive step that addresses the indignity of compulsory retirement at 65 and gives people the option to remain in work if they wish.
He argued workers should have a right to work until 70 years of age if they so wish and warned that forced retirement drives people into economic dependency. He highlighted a shortage of skills, particularly in the trades, and said experienced workers’ knowledge needs to be retained and passed on.
He noted the public sector already allows continuation up to 70 in many cases whereas private sector practice is inconsistent. He welcomed the bill’s clause allowing recourse to the Workplace Relations Commission as a form of redress.
He raised the specific example of school bus drivers forced to retire at 70 while still able to drive other coaches, and said a straightforward solution would be strict annual medical and ISET tests to permit qualified drivers to continue, possibly up to 75. He warned of imminent shortages of school bus drivers by August and October as recent retirements take effect.
Separately, Brian Stanley urged the government to introduce separate legislation granting a mandatory right to be represented by a trade union and the right to collective bargaining, noting the state is "out of sync" with most other EU states and many workers remain unprotected. He said unions broadly welcome the bill but that further legal protections are needed.
Support for the bill
Brian Stanley described the bill as a positive step that addresses the indignity of compulsory retirement at 65 and gives people the option to remain in work if they wish.
Right to work until 70 and skills shortage
He argued workers should have a right to work until 70 years of age if they so wish and warned that forced retirement drives people into economic dependency. He highlighted a shortage of skills, particularly in the trades, and said experienced workers’ knowledge needs to be retained and passed on.
Public and private sector differences and redress
He noted the public sector already allows continuation up to 70 in many cases whereas private sector practice is inconsistent. He welcomed the bill’s clause allowing recourse to the Workplace Relations Commission as a form of redress.
School bus drivers and medical testing
He raised the specific example of school bus drivers forced to retire at 70 while still able to drive other coaches, and said a straightforward solution would be strict annual medical and ISET tests to permit qualified drivers to continue, possibly up to 75. He warned of imminent shortages of school bus drivers by August and October as recent retirements take effect.
Demand for mandatory union representation and collective bargaining
Separately, Brian Stanley urged the government to introduce separate legislation granting a mandatory right to be represented by a trade union and the right to collective bargaining, noting the state is "out of sync" with most other EU states and many workers remain unprotected. He said unions broadly welcome the bill but that further legal protections are needed.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Other speeches
Tego samego dnia All speeches from this day →
Paul Murphy
Paul Murphy on unauthorised scoliosis surgeries and inquiries
Mattie McGrath
Mattie McGrath criticises Irish Water over leaks and Clarmel supply
Sharon Keogan
Sharon Keogan criticises opposition obstruction amid market turmoil
Danny Healy-Rae
Danny Healy-Rae warns of water crisis, urges funding for schemes
Rose Conway-Walsh
Rose Conway-Walsh Demands Urgent Second Opinion for Teen Scoliosis
George Lawlor
George Lawlor Urges Abolition of Mandatory Retirement Age
Transcript
I welcome this bill. I want to be positive about this. I think that is only right. We have a situation where people reach 65, most jobs that's it you finish, and there's the indignity of having to go to what's called the local Dáil office. We need to end that and we need to give people the option, if they so wish, to continue working. I think that this bill seeks about addressing this there's a few things I go a bit further with but this is this is a good step forward Minister. I think you know on top of that as well we have a shortage of skills which is well known. There are a whole lot of people forced to retirement and they have certain skills and we need those skills and we need them badly particularly in the trades and that knowledge needs to be passed on. People have a right to work, should have a right to work until 70 years of age if they so wish. The problem with forced retirement is you force them into this situation where against their will in a lot of cases they are forced to economic dependency and the worst thing is to actually have to go to a labour exchange and sign on the Dáil. So we can't continue enforcing this on people and we must give people the option and it's only legitimate that we can do so. There's no justification for continuing the way they are. The unions broadly welcome this bill and I think that it will be well received. Now what we want to watch here is that within the public sector this is easy enough to do and is there already you can continue until you're 70. In the private sector it may not be as clear but then some private employers do recognise the value of these workers you know to have skills built up over a long number of years. In some cases people who have worked 50 years start working when they're 15 or 16 years of age. I would say one other thing I want to say to you is that and it's separate to this piece of legislation that you need to move on the government need to move on with the commitment to bring in the mandatory right to be represented by a trade union, the right to collective bargaining. Minister, we're out of sync with other EU states with this. I think we're only one of three or four at the moment that doesn't have it and we need to move on this. You know we have the quirky situation that you have the right to join the trade union and in some jobs you could even get sacked for that still but you don't have a right to be represented by a trade union and the right to collective bargaining. And there are a lot of workers out there being mistreated and we need to provide that protection for them. So I just mentioned that. I just say as well that the clause in the bill as well in part three of the bill where you can go to the WRC, that's welcome. That's just redress there. I just want to acknowledge that. I think that as well that you know that there's a situation and I've mentioned here in the House and I'm going to mention it to you again today, is that people over 70 years of age who were driving school buses are forced to retire. They can't drive the school bus anymore but they can drive the big coach to the swimming pool or to Dublin for a tour or to Cork or to Belfast or wherever else any time during the day. And I would just ask you to take back this. I'm saying it to every Minister. You know, now in answer to a parliamentary question, the Minister, the relevant Minister, Minister Brian tells me that there's a commitment to delivery of a skilled workforce to maintain and operate public transport vehicles. My department has established a public transport workforce task force to identify options to assist in resolving this. Now without any disrespect to, and all respect to civil servants, now we can start setting up interdepartmental task forces. There's a problem, it's a straightforward problem. People over 70 can't drive the school bus with 10 or 12 kids on it. If they pass a medical test, if they passed an ISET test, and let it be a strict medical test, let them each year, let them do it and let them continue driving until they're 75. That's an option. There's going to be a mighty shortage and you'll notice in Cavill and Moniton come October or come August, there's going to be a shortage of school bus drivers. It's already happening. There's people finishing in the last few weeks, spoke to somebody again last night, forced into compulsory retirement, been driving all their lives, never had an accident, driving trucks, buses, everything you can think of. We need to give these people the option and I would just ask you to take back that and for the civil servants maybe to take note of it that are there beside you. But look, on the bill, it's a positive step forward. The issue, we do need to go further in relation to separate legislation to bring in the mandatory right to collective bargaining and to be represented by a trade union. But I'll be supporting this bill. I'll be right back. I'll be right back.