Sinn Féin will resist FF/FG plans to increase the pension age – Matt Carthy

Sinn Féin MEP and General Election candidate, Matt Carthy, has said that the government plans, which are supported by Fianna Fáil, to increase the State pension age to 68 are ‘wrong, unfair and don’t represent the values of the Irish people’.

Carthy, who is running in the Cavan/Monaghan constituency, said everyone has the ‘unquestioned right’ to retire on a State pension at 65 because “at that age, they will have done their heavy lifting, they will have worked hard, paid their bills and paid their taxes to this State”.

He continued:

“But Fine Gael and their partners in Fianna Fáil don’t see it that way.  They don’t believe that 65-year-olds are entitled to a State pension, and they don’t believe that people who have worked for more than four decades deserve it.

“Six years ago, Fine Gael raised the pensionable age to 66.  They have spent their time in government eroding entitlements of retirees while ensuring that millionaire business executives are treated to sweet-heart tax breaks.

“In contrast, Sinn Féin in opposition has battled for retirees because we understand that we are not talking about some abstract age bracket on a page – we are talking about our parents, grandparents, families, friends and our neighbours.

“We are talking about the people who have provided the resources to build our hospitals, our schools and our roads and they are entitled to respect and dignity.

“They shouldn’t be put on jobseekers’ payments for two years.  Quite frankly that it is an insult.

“Sinn Féin stands up for workers, and we will stand up for a fair State pension age.

“In government, Sinn Féin will reintroduce the State pension for 65 year olds who choose to retire and we will legislate to protect the rights of those who wish to keep working.

“I hope that myself and Pauline Tully will be part of the team that defends the rights of workers to retire with dignity at 65 if that is their wish”.

ENDS