Sinn Féin will resist FF/FG plans to increase the pension age – Matt Carthy
Sinn Féin MEP and General Election candidate, Matt Carthy, has said that the government plans, which are supported by Fianna Fáil, to increase the State pension age to 68 are ‘wrong, unfair and don’t represent the values of the Irish people’.
Carthy, who is running in the Cavan/Monaghan constituency, said everyone has the ‘unquestioned right’ to retire on a State pension at 65 because “at that age, they will have done their heavy lifting, they will have worked hard, paid their bills and paid their taxes to this State”.
He continued:
“But Fine Gael and their partners in Fianna Fáil don’t see it that way. They don’t believe that 65-year-olds are entitled to a State pension, and they don’t believe that people who have worked for more than four decades deserve it.
“Six years ago, Fine Gael raised the pensionable age to 66. They have spent their time in government eroding entitlements of retirees while ensuring that millionaire business executives are treated to sweet-heart tax breaks.
“In contrast, Sinn Féin in opposition has battled for retirees because we understand that we are not talking about some abstract age bracket on a page – we are talking about our parents, grandparents, families, friends and our neighbours.
“We are talking about the people who have provided the resources to build our hospitals, our schools and our roads and they are entitled to respect and dignity.
“They shouldn’t be put on jobseekers’ payments for two years. Quite frankly that it is an insult.
“Sinn Féin stands up for workers, and we will stand up for a fair State pension age.
“In government, Sinn Féin will reintroduce the State pension for 65 year olds who choose to retire and we will legislate to protect the rights of those who wish to keep working.
“I hope that myself and Pauline Tully will be part of the team that defends the rights of workers to retire with dignity at 65 if that is their wish”.
ENDS
You have my vote for this one, with myself and my husband paying taxes etc etc for almost 40 years now , yes we should be given our state pension at 65. All government ministers have themselves covered to get their pensions much earlier and a hell of a lot more than a miserable €248 a week ,
I agree on this one the pension age should be 65
There needs to be much more radical thinking on how to keep the pension age at 65 rather than politicians take the lazy route hide behind a commission and raise the pension age but not for themselves
Maith an fear thú.
Well said…as it should be..
I agree on this one the pension age should be 65
There needs to be much more radical thinking on how to keep the pension age at 65 rather than politicians take the lazy route hide behind a commission and raise the pension age but not for themselves
Why do governments interfere in hard working people’s pensions who have planed to retire at a time in there life. Who have never experience the luxury of haveing expenses for travel to there job and yet the elected officials are the frist to defend there luxury pension and exspences which a lot of them don’t deserve
Why don’t they start wit reform of T. Ds pension frist and all the top civil servant s who are the ones truly breaking this country with there cosy retirements pensions they should only get it for 5 years after they retire from the dail and have there own private one in place after that period of time they get paid well and still cheat on there expense they claim and when there caught o sorry I fill in the form wrong.. We the people do not buy in to your bullshiit anymore any reform on pension should start at the top whit government and top civil servants frist
Here here, I agree intirely . Working until your 68 is not ok if you have a desk job and your in good nic it might be possible?… But what about the people in Labour intensive jobs and those who have health issues who are counting down the weeks and months to retirement so they can have some time to themselves to travel, look after grandchildren or simple just enjoy daily living without planning . …We as a nation have always looked after our elderly and those who have work hard to keep our country going… SO don’t stop now. Adrienne