June NUI Galway Host Webinar to Discuss Older Irish Workers’ Opinion on Proposed Increases in State Pension Age

A policy roundtable on the views of older healthcare and financial sector workers on the proposed increases to the state pension age will take place on the Thursday, 10 June 2021.

This virtual event, hosted by the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology at NUI Galway, takes place from 12–2.30pm.

The Commission on Pensions is due to issue its recommendations on the proposed increase in state pension age later this month.

Dynamic of Accumulated Inequalities for Seniors in Employment (DAISIE) is a cross-national European project exploring the experiences of older workers (aged 50 and over) across five European countries: Ireland, Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK, and three employment sectors: healthcare, financial sector and transport and their views about extending their working lives.

At a time when the populations of countries across Europe are ageing more or less rapidly, one of the most common policies introduced to deal with the expected increases in pension costs is to increase state pension age and delay retirement.

The prospect of working past state pension age can be very different depending on the kind of work involved, for example whether work is physically demanding or sedentary. The DAISIE project aims to inform us about the experiences of workers in different sectors and their views on and possibilities for extending their working lives.

The webinar will be opened by Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, NUI Galway President, followed by an overview of the international DAISIE project by Professor Nicky Lefeuvre, University of Lausanne, Principal Investigator for International DAISIE.

Dr Áine Ní Léime, Irish Centre for Social Gerontology, NUI Galway, and Principal Investigator of the Irish strand of the DAISIE project will deliver a presentation of findings of workers’ perspectives of the proposed increases in the State Pension Age. This will be based on analysis of interviews with workers in the healthcare (40 workers) and financial sectors (16 workers).

The webinar will also see a policy roundtable involving representatives from IBEC and trade unions representing the healthcare and financial sectors,  representatives from Age Action and from Eurofound and Senator Marie Sherlock, Seanad Éireann to facilitate a broader discussion of extended working life policy in Ireland. The policy roundtable will be hosted by Dr Nata Duvvury, Global Women’s Studies Centre, NUI Galway.

Professor Nicky Lefeuvre, Principal Investigator for International DAISIE, said: “Engaging with national stakeholders in each country is an important objective of the DAISIE project in order to stimulate debate on policies to extend working life and this timely policy event will fulfil that aim in Ireland.”

President of NUI Galway, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, said: “I’m delighted to open this policy event, hosted by the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology here at NUI Galway. NUI Galway Strategy Shared Vision Shaped by Values is underpinned by four key values: Respect, Openness, Sustainability and Excellence. As part of our University’s public mission, we believe that our excellent research should contribute to and inform a broader policy conversation among civil society stakeholders, unions and employers - for the public good.” 

To register for the webinar visit: https://bit.ly/2T6Hprh.

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