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Public sector including military and emergency services retirement age rises from 60 to 62

Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Seán Clancy, welcomed the change, saying he was “delighted”.

LAST UPDATE | 19 Aug 2024

THE MANDATORY RETIREMENT age for members of the Irish Defence Forces as well as members of the emergency services and Prison service has risen from 60 to 62 years old as of today, Tánaiste Micheál Martin has announced.

Martin characterised the raise as part of a broader plan to encourage recruitment and retention in the Defence Forces. The measure was initially announced back in March but comes into effect today. 

Today’s change comes after a previous raise to 60 years of age for all Defence Forces’ ranks whose mandatory retirement age had been under 60.

Announcing the change, the Tánaiste said that transforming and modernising the Defence Forces was “a key priority” for him. 

“This important change to the mandatory retirement age reflects modern society, allowing members who want to remain in service longer to do so,” Martin said.

He added that “it also facilitates the Defence Forces in their efforts to retain highly trained, skilled and experienced personnel”.

“Together with several other recruitment and retention initiatives – including the roll out of private healthcare, increased allowances and ongoing investment in infrastructure – this measure is a significant step aimed at stabilising the number of serving personnel while we simultaneously work towards recruiting new people into an exciting and rewarding career in the Defence Forces.”

Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Seán Clancy, welcomed the change, saying he was “delighted”.

“Our members are our greatest asset and are central to everything we do. This is why the increase of mandatory retirement ages for all ranks has been a priority for me as Chief of Staff,” he said.

“It will act as an important retention measure, providing security of tenure for our serving members and support the transformation of our Defence Forces.”

The changes to retirement provisions “enhance the options available to uniformed public servants and allow them to remain in service for longer if they choose to do so,” a Department of Defence statement said. 

Lt Col Conor King of the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (RACO) said that the measure will not solve the ongoing retention crisis in the military. 

“The increase in the retirement ages was brought in without any consultation with the associations, which appears to be the norm of late.

“While it will allow a small number of people to work for longer in the Defence Forces (DF) should they choose, it does nothing to change the completely inadequate pension terms for the over 50% of DF personnel who have joined since 2013, and who will not be able to afford to stay in the organisation in any case.

“Until this critical issue is addressed, along with the urgent implementation of the working time directive, then initiatives such as these are simply window dressing,” he said. 

Mark Keane of PDFORRA echoed those sentiments and said while welcoming the measure that it has not gone far enough. 

“We welcome this morning’s news, especially for those members on Post 94 contracts, but PDFORRA has been working on this for a long time and we cannot but think of the people who were forced out of their careers early,” Keane said. 

“During this process we were never engaged with on this measure since the initial announcement in March.” 

“There are issues with it,” he said.

“Whilst we welcome any measure that aids retention and recruitment, the representative bodies should be engaged with by the Department and Military. It is basic industrial relations.”

“It gives the majority of people security of tenure, they can plan for the future – before they would have faced dismissal in most cases at 56 – but there is an issue with long service, senior non-commissioned officers still not getting long service increments. 

“There still is no movement on the Commission on the Defence Forces measures such as lance corporals and the long service increments which are available to civil servants – if Micheál Martin can do this with the retirement age he can get those over the line immediately,” he said.  

With additional reporting from Niall O’Connor. 

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    Mute Pokey2013
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    Jun 9th 2014, 8:34 AM

    Good for her! This really is a no brainer as an industry for the west of Ireland.

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    Mute Ciaran Farrell
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    Jun 9th 2014, 10:07 AM

    It should be but this government through an uduras na gaeltachta company called arramara are trying to corner the market from erris hd to loop hd by applying for a license which would stop cottage industries from cutting seaweed in west mayo, Galway and Clare thus giving a monopoly. At the same time they are negotiating the sale of arramara teo to a private Canadian company. Think they’re holding out for a suitable price. 30 pieces of silver perhaps?Absolute disgrace and the deal being done quietly. This will shut down countless cottage industries and is getting little or no coverage.

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    Mute Hallie Burton
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    Jun 9th 2014, 10:13 AM

    Another scam being played out on us Ciaran.

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    Mute Ciaran Farrell
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    Jun 9th 2014, 10:52 AM

    It is indeed. The worst part of it is that in many villages on our western seaboard there are so few opportunities to ” turn a pound” that this will be devastating and nobody is shouting stop ( or at least nobody with influence on kildare st.). This is Minister Ring’s heartland yet he is strangely quiet for a lad who loved the soapbox when in opposition.

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    Mute Thors Big Hammer
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    Jun 9th 2014, 8:42 AM

    Fair play to this woman and her drive to to be successful.

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    Mute Brendan Harlowe
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    Jun 9th 2014, 12:14 PM

    I think she flew in actually .

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    Mute Ben Gunn
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    Jun 9th 2014, 8:55 AM

    It is not an either/or choice. To grow your business all markets should be explored. The Irish home market is tiny and many of our indigenous industries would simply fold without overseas sales.

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    Mute Aaron
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    Jun 9th 2014, 9:14 AM

    Why would/should any business limit themselves to a single market?

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    Mute Dee4
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    Jun 9th 2014, 9:14 AM

    well done to the lady, there are increasing warnings not to consume anything from the Pacific. Japan and even the West Coast of the US should be great markets for her

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    Mute Hallie Burton
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    Jun 9th 2014, 10:12 AM

    We don’t eat enough of it ourselves.

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    Mute Hallie Burton
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    Jun 9th 2014, 10:38 AM

    Maybe someone could tell us where ‘sea vegetables’ are on sale in locally? I can get dried product in the Asia Market in Drury Street and very nice it is too. Try this site for lots of info http://www.seaweed.ie/uses_ireland/irishseaweedfood.php

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    Mute Michelle Blessing
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    Jun 9th 2014, 11:54 AM

    What a shame we are exporting to a country that carries out horrific atrocities against dolphins and whales in Taiji.

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    Mute Frank
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    Jun 9th 2014, 8:36 AM

    Japan still has a market for glow in the dark seaweed.

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    Mute J. Dunn
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    Jun 9th 2014, 9:37 AM

    Do you have a link for that, Frank?

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    Mute Frank
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    Jun 9th 2014, 10:46 AM
    3
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