I welcome the increase in the mandatory retirement age to 70 for the vast majority of public servants a while back. It is a very good thing on balance. I understand that increase has not been extended to the semi-state sector, neither to the commercial nor the non-commercial parts of it. Does the Government have any plans to extend that mandatory retirement age increase to the semi-state sector? What are the Taoiseach's thoughts on the matter?

The Government's general position is to be supportive of those who wish to remain working for longer. This is reflected in the new flexible pension arrangements we have introduced since 1 January this year, which allow for a deferral of the start date of the contributory State pension. The way it would work, though, in respect of a commercial semi-state, each of which is governed by its own specific legislation, is that it would need to make a proposal to increase the age, to be considered by the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. As far as I am aware, that Department has not yet received any proposal. It is a matter for the commercial semi-state in the first instance.