People are living longer, which is welcome, so we need to look at the mandatory retirement age. This is just one example of many. I am dealing with a person on a community employment, CE, scheme in Carlow. She is an excellent supervisor whose employment will end in September because she will have reached the age of 66 and must leave. She has been in the employment for 15 years and has vast experience in this position. The good news is that new legislation is coming into law in 2024, but in the meantime, can people who are interested in staying on get some sort of concession or help to allow them to stay on, because the new legislation is not coming in until 2024? Emergency services and transport services across the country have also been hit by this rule. People who are in the full of their health are being made to retire. Will the Taoiseach please look at this? I know the Minister for Social Protection will also look at it.

I thank the Deputy for raising this. In regard to CE schemes, we have made a good number of improvements and allowed people to stay on longer. We have changed the scheme to adapt to a changing labour market.

We have agreed the State pension age will remain 66. We are bringing changes that will take effect from 1 January 2024, whereby people will have an option to work longer if they wish to. As to the CE schemes, a person cannot benefit from two social protection payments. In other words, he or she cannot stay on a CE scheme and benefit from a pension as well. Once someone reaches the retirement age on a CE scheme, he or she will have to go off it.

Can a person choose?

No. I know the CE scheme provides services but it is a job activation measure primarily.