We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
THE MANDATORY RETIREMENT age for civil servants is to rise from 65 to 70 under new measures to be announced by Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe today.
Under current rules, those working in the public service must retire from their job at age 65. However, the new measures will mean people can work until they’re 70 if they so choose.
Of course, the age you would like to retire at may be very different to the age you expect to be able to.
We want to know: What age would you like to retire at?
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
I’d like to retire today. Essentially it’d be best if other people worked and just gave me money to allow me to live the life of Riley.
But I can’t see that happening.
Should the question be “At what age do you expect to retire?”
@Damocles:
Agreed, a badly worded poll.
One member of my family retired at 48 because they could afford it, another at 77 even though they didn’t want to!
@Damocles: Jeysus I would kill to retire today. I’m sick of work and people.
@cortisola: people are the worst
@John Cronin: yeah, like, what are they for?
@Labhrás Hayden:
The world would be a great place to live if it wasn’t for all the people…
@Damocles: Should have invested in bitcoins
I’m gonna work for as long as I physically can. In my family history, people have a nasty habit of dying shortly after they enter retirement.
@O Swetenham: The high taxation even of pensions is an incentive to retire. Inactivity, boredom induced smoking, eating and drinking is a cause of ill health on retirement for many.
@O Swetenham: if you are not ready to retire at 65 you probably aren’t working. You are just taking up space where you work. If you are self employed you can work away but all public servants should have to go. Too many people sucking to system dry.
Who in his/hers right mind wants to retire at 70? Work till you drop?
Is there grounds being set to increase the working age?
If all is good at 55 I’m hanging up my guns. There is more in life than chasing cash until you kick the bucket.
I’d like to retire today, the boss says I’m already retired, in reality I’ll never see 70. The average life expectancy of a man in Ireland today is 78, 82 for women, this doesn’t mean that they’ll enjoy good health up to their final years, in reality most people’s health will decline with age.
So, people are now expected to work for as long as possible, for as long as their health lasts, as soon as their health begins to decline – then they can go. And die.
Cant afford to retire
@gary mullen: Keep work so !
@gary mullen: Can you afford to die ?
@cortisola: yep, just cant afford the funeral.
@gary mullen:
Funerals are overrated.
@Avina Laaf: would still rather pay for my own than expect someone else to pay for it.
Hopefully 57, finished my mortgage, sell my house and get the f out of this corrupt kip, zakynthos, crete, canary Islands sounds good.
@Trevor Hayden: Canary Islands, they never heard about corruption there…
@cortisola: As long as I’m out of this s€€thole it wouldn’t really bother me. Id sooner be a rich pensioner on the canary Islands than a poor pensioner in Ireland.
Greece, canary Islands, has absolutely abysmal hospital services but I suppose in comparison to the HSE, it might not be that bad.
@Trevor Hayden: Spain has an excellent health-care system that extends to the Canary Islands..? Abysmal?
@Paul Tao: I stand corrected, Greece is prety poor, all the more reason so.
Cheers Paul.
@Trevor Hayden: A bit further away but I heard cambodia is a great place to go if you want to stretch your cash. A friend of mine lived there for 2 years for a little over 300 per month. He said he did not live cheap either.
@Andy K: Sad truth – not many can afford decent retirement in Ireland. Young people forced to migrate to get good job, old people forced to migrate to find good care…
@Trevor Hayden: good man Trevor
I retire every year, or every 50,000 kms whichever comes first.
Don’t want to be driving on bald tires.
55
Very reasonable age to look to retire at. Life is for living not just working ‘for the man’ and this capitalist system that we subscribe to for 2 thirds of your existance
@Niall Sullivan: 21.
@Nigel O’Neill:
Absolutely no reason you can’t do that, work hard save up etc.
Just don’t ask anyone else to pay for it.
@Nigel O’Neill:
Who’s going to pay for your early retirement?
@Avina Laaf:
“Who’s going to pay for your early retirement?”
1. Apple
2. The 1 percent.
3. De gubbermint.
You know, the usual.
@David Murphey:
Yep. Come to think of it why do we have to work at all?
It’d be much better if we could all just live a life of leisure from the cradle to the grave and get de gubberment to pay for everything….
@P.J. you obviously miss the point. We will all pay for each others as we all retire a bit earlier, not just me and take it from me, I more than pay fair share into the exchequer each and every month so dont throw that at me about expecting others to pay for anything for me
@David the point is obviosly lost on you but the answer is the huge amount of direct and indirect taxes I pay each month, MYSELF
@David @Avina are those paying the huge Pension and Lump Sum Bill fot our early retired politicians too!? Or whos paying that?
@Nigel O’Neill:
Sorry Nigel but our present rate of taxation cannot sustain our existing commitments Re pensions into the future, that’s why they are increasing the retirement age and you are suggesting we reverse that by more than ten years? It would take a massive increase in taxation to achieve.
Best of luck to you if you can retire early, I hope to be at least semi retired by 55 but I regularly do a sixty hour as a self employed person so it will be entirely self funded
A lot depends on what job you do and whether you are physically able to meet the demands of your job. A lot also depends on your financial situation, and the financial situation of the country. As these things change, the age when you can finally hang up your boots will likely also change. Unless you are a politician, or better still, a minister. Excellent package, even if you made a balls of it.
Working and paying taxes from the legal age all of my life now in my mid forties hopefully retire before 65, I certainly wont be working at 70 funding the fat cats politicians and life long dole bums.
@Dale exactly my friend
55
Now.
@Colin Morris: yesterday.
The article is confusing mandatory with minimum.
ASAP
My grandfather worked until he was 77.He died when he was 82.My father died at 64 nine months from retirement.I am 53. I don’t expect retirement so I won’t be disappointed.It is what it is.
I want to retire by 60, mainly to give young people a chance. I understand why some may want to continue working, yes they have much to contribute In terms of experience, but they have had the opportunity to gain it, unlike younger people. In a dream world I’d retire at 60, help mind grand kids, hang out with friends, travel with my other half. But I’ll still be paying my mortgage and probably loans to get my kids through college :/
Just cause we living longer retirement should not move up it should be the same age, but optional. School leaving age should be 16 people would have more time to work travel get a degree and would be still at a good age to start a family if wish to. Every we have good these days is tained.
It depends on your definition of retiring. There is plenty of evidence that the worst thing for an ageing person is to retire, especially for the brain. I think there is an argument for doing less physically demanding work for money but there is also an argument for still working at least part time to keep oneself moving, sociable, and the brain active. Maybe trying a new work or setting up some sort of business, even if it is just selling homemade scarves on etsy, it can keep some money coming in and keeps you doing something but you’re still flexible. Working retirement is a good way to go, do the sort of job you want to do and work as little as you want but still keep yourself connected to that part of yourself and life.
@Rachael Ball:
Way too sensible a comment for around here….
I’m a carer. I dont have the option of retirement. I will be working probably up until the day I die .
Never mind retirement age. It’s when you hit the half century, its time to get house in order, reflect, and get the ‘bucket list’ in place and enjoy the twilight years as they come sooner rather than later. Keep mind and body active to keep you going past ‘your sell by date’.
What a ridiculous poll
Far too many people looking to be retired for longer than theyve actually worked, many also not understanding that in 20 years time there simply wont be enough people working to sustain the amount that are retired and are ignorantly expecting to live off only the state pension
@David Mc Nally: im talking about people lookibg to retire at 55 or earlier
@Ian McNally: with automation taking away most of the real work, it’s our distribution system needs fixing. Eight people now have more wealth than half the worlds population. Tasks that once took hundreds or thousands of people can now be done by a handful and we have managed to turn this wonderful fact against ourselves.
Many jobs nowadays are just filler, not really necessary, when real workers like transport workers strike, cue chaos.
Money creation and distribution needs to be directed towards socially necessary work. We could then all work as many days as we liked and feel useful, as long as we desired.
Retire from what exactly.
Now.
Started work age 14 in Dept of P&T delivering telegrams on a bike and working 7 days a week. Forced into retirement at 65 despite asking to continue in my job which I thoroughly enjoyed. Huge lifestyle change getting up every morning after 50 plus years with no job to go to.
I work as an artist so I’d honestly never want to retire as such as the idea of not drawing/painting everyday depresses me but I wouldn’t mind being 70 and not having pressure to create art with restrictions for clients. Assuming of course health stays good, any health issues would impact how long I’d keep going
Sure Public Servants don’t get the State Pension, what’s all the fuss about?
By the time you are qualified after – Leaving Cert – Diploma – Degree – Masters – etc..
you can leave further education at 60 and sign on for 6 years and get the pension.
have your say