I welcomed recent developments on the retained firefighters. However, I have been contacted by several firefighters who are about to retire. They are calling for a temporary moratorium so long-serving firefighters can stay on past 60 years. Many fit and highly experienced personnel are having to retire as we speak and have to go on the dole when they should be allowed to stay on. When it has been found difficult to recruit new emergency personnel in the numbers needed to provide these important services, it makes sense to make use of the existing human resources we have by extending the retirement age like other local authority staff. There is a built-in safeguard where firefighters must undergo a detailed medical each year from the age of 55 years. If you do not pass this then they have to retire. Common sense is needed here. We need to keep them in place. People are living longer and it is important we look at this.

The Deputy has made a very good point. There is a broader issue where there is an interdepartmental group looking at the whole area of retirement from uniformed public services, whether An Garda Síochána, firefighting or Defence Forces. We have increased retirement age limits on an interim basis in the Defence Forces. We are living longer. Thankfully, Ireland has made dramatic gains in health outcomes and we are living far longer than we did 20 years ago. We are almost topping the European Union table in life span and people who are 60 now are much fitter than a 60-year-old 20 years ago. The point is well made. But there are pension issues and it has implications particularly in relation to the fast-accrual pension situation, hence an interdepartmental group is looking at it. I think the Minister for public expenditure wants to do that very expeditiously because obviously it affects recruitment and retention.