Why aren't we out on the streets protesting the increase in retirement age?

[Nugget]

How pathetic and cowardly are Irish people to stand back and watch this government screw us over again? If this happened in any other country there would be massive strikes.

Why do people need to work untill 68? Do we have a labour shortage in this country or something? Last time I checked we will have 500,000 unemployed by the end of 2010. I can only include that that this is an attempt by the right wingers to glut the labour market even further to drive down wages even further. This government is also attempting to get rid of public state pensions and privatise them all.

[JohnBlake]

The age needs to go up, everyone realises this.

[Nugget]

The age needs to go up, everyone realises this.

Do you think we have a labour shortage? There is no socially beneficial reason to raise the retirement age. if anything we should be lowering it to create more jobs for young unemployed people.

Also what is the point of developing so much technology if we cannot use it to allow humans a shorter working life?

[sauntersplash]

The age needs to go up, everyone realises this.

Do they? I don't.

[locke]

Given Ireland's demographics (relatively young population and only average life expectancy for a developed country), it's not clear why we need to increase so much. It will mean we have no margin when our demographics deteriorate.

First and foremost, the government should be making it illegal to put in place a mandatory retirement age. That way ate least those who want to work on can.

[Sync]

I think anyone with a knowledge of the history of pensions in Europe and Ireland, and even a tertiary awareness of the pension problems we have coming to us would know that whether you agree with the concept of raising the age or you don't, it's got nothing to do with the availability of labour at all. Need to read a bit more.

[Johnny random]

I imagine its about money, nugget, money we generally have to borrow from other people to pay things like pensions etc...

oh if only we could find the anarchist's pot of gold........

[Nugget]

I think anyone with a knowledge of the history of pensions in Europe and Ireland, and even a tertiary awareness of the pension problems we have coming to us would know that whether you agree with the concept of raising the age or you don't, it's got nothing to do with the availability of labour at all. Need to read a bit more.

It's not about the ratio of pensioners to working people whatsoever. It's about the ratio of dependents in society to workers. Dependents include pensioners, children, unemployed and the sick. It's you who needs to read up more.

[johnfás]

Given Ireland's demographics (relatively young population and only average life expectancy for a developed country), it's not clear why we need to increase so much. It will mean we have no margin when our demographics deteriorate.

First and foremost, the government should be making it illegal to put in place a mandatory retirement age. That way ate least those who want to work on can.

That isn't quite true for a number of reasons.

1. We can expect there to be a significant level of emigration over the next number of years, particularly amongst younger people.
2. Current demographic trends indicate that currently there are 6 people at work for every 1 pensioner. By 2060 this figure is projected to be only 2 people at work for every 1 pensioner.
3. Our birth statistics, which alot of people point to as indicative of our young growing population, are somewhat misleadingly interpreted. It is true that in 2008 more babies (75,065) were born in Ireland than in any year since 1896 and that half of these were to first time mothers. However, in 1896 the population of what is now the Republic of Ireland was approximately 3.22 million. Today that population is approximately 4.24 million, an increase of nearly one third. As a result the comparison to births in 1896 is a bit of a red herring, births are proportionately about a third lower than they were then.

[goosebump]

Why do people need to work untill 68?

Because people are living longer, which means the ratio of pensioners to workers is decreasing.

It isn't that complicated.