I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for his fairness and wish him and everyone else a happy Christmas. Last week, the Government announced that it was bringing forward plans to increase the retirement age from 65 to 70 for public service workers. It is a small step in the right direction but it does not go far enough. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform brought forward interim arrangements to allow those public service workers to retire. Those interim arrangements include conditions that those employees have to retire first before being re-employed and can only be re-employed on a lower pay scale. There are serious concerns about this. It is giving the message to those who want to remain in the workforce that they are not wanted. Who was consulted in respect of bringing forward these interim arrangements? When will we see the legislation to govern the extension of retirement age?

The Deputy will have to ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform about that issue. He is the Minister who is dealing with the detail of it.

The Government decision to increase the mandatory retirement age across the public sector from 65 to 70 makes a lot of sense and has broad support in the House. It cannot happen instantly because there is a process to be followed to bring it about. In the meantime, the Minister wants to put interim arrangements in place. The Deputy will have to talk to the Minister directly about the detail of the consultation process. I can certainly ask the Minister on the Deputy's behalf.