Press release
Minister O’Brien announces the extension of the retirement age for firefighters effective from today
From Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Published on
Last updated on
Minister O’Brien has today announced the extension of the retirement age for firefighters. This change takes effect from today, 19 August 2024.
Commenting on the announcement, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, said:
“The Government recognises the critical role that the uniformed services play in our communities and the hugely positive impact that they make in respect of all of our lives. That’s why, we decided back in March of this year to increase the retirement age for firefighters, a key ask from many members and their representative organisations. At the time we moved quickly to ensure temporary transitional arrangements were put in place pending the enactment of necessary legislation.
“Government then prioritised the passage of the enabling legislation to give effect to this change and it was enacted within five months of the Government decision.
“There are approximately 2,080 retained and 1,170 fulltime firefighters. They are the most dedicated men and women who are an integral part of the communities they serve so committedly.
“The extension of the mandatory retirement age up to 62 for both full time and retained fire fighters will serve to further strengthen fire services. It will allow the retention of long serving personnel and provide an opportunity for the knowledge and expertise of existing experienced personnel to transfer to new recruits.
“Firefighters save lives, prevent damage to residential and commercial property, protect critical infrastructure and safeguard the environment. They also continue to embrace change and continuously improve the service they provide to the public. I look forward to this extension to the retirement age allowing those who love their job to continue to do so across the fire service.”
The Minister for Public Expenditure, NPD Delivery and Reform, Paschal Donohoe has today commenced the relevant Part 11 provisions of the Courts, Civil Law, Criminal Law and Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2024 to facilitate an increase in the mandatory retirement for firefighters, Prison Officers and members of the Permanent Defence Forces to 62 years of age, for those who choose to avail of it.
Part 11 provides the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien with a new power to set the age at which firefighters will retire. Minister O’Brien has today exercised that power through the Local Government Act 2001 (Retirement of Firefighters) Regulations 2024, which increases the Mandatory Retirement Age for the fire service to 62.
Part 11 of the Act implements changes that were previously agreed by Government to facilitate an increase in the mandatory retirement age for uniformed public servants to 62 years, within the context of the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform’s fast accrual pension policy framework.
Under this framework, fast accrual pension terms will be facilitated until age 60. If an individual remains in employment beyond that age, their pension accrual reverts to a standard basis from that point until their retirement. Minister O’Brien has today given effect to these changes through the Local Government (Superannuation) (Consolidation) (Amendment) Scheme 2024.
Ends
On 5 March 2024 Government approved two interlinked changes in relation to the terms and conditions for members of certain uniformed services. These changes are:
Following the Government’s approval of an increase in the mandatory retirement age for certain members of the uniformed services, approval was secured by the Minister for Housing Local Government and Heritage for an extension to the mandatory retirement age for both full-time and retained firefighters with a view to providing consistency across the uniformed services.
The provisions which amend the relevant legislation to give effect to this government decision were included in Part 11 of the Courts, Civil Law, Criminal Law and Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2024, which was signed by the President on 23 July 2024.
The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage is provided with a new power under Section 158 of the Local Government Act to allow him, with the consent of the M/PER to set the age at which firefighters will retire.
In the Local Government Act 2001 (Retirement of Firefighters) Regulations 2024, the Minister is exercising this power and is increasing the Mandatory Retirement Age to 62. The Minimum Retirement Age of 55 is not amended.
In the Local Government (Superannuation) (Consolidation) (Amendment) Scheme 2024, the terms of the Local Government Superannuation Scheme are amended to facilitate fast accrual pension terms to age 60.
The Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform has lead a cross-Departmental Group to drive the delivery of the legislation to give effect to these changes across the uniformed services. This has ensured that the primary legislation was enacted as soon as possible and that the secondary legislation has been coordinated to ensure that these changes happen in tandem across the uniformed services where possible.
The extension of the mandatory retirement age for firefighters is one of a number of initiatives aimed at resolving retention and recruitment issues within the retained fire services following the publication of the report “Retained Fire Services in Ireland – A Review of the Recruitment and Retention and the Future Sustainability of Service Delivery”.
Up until today, the mandatory retirement age for retained firefighters as set out in the relevant pension legislation was 58. Between 2020 and March 2024, there has been a temporary arrangement in place, which allowed retained firefighters to retire at 58 in accordance with the legislation, but come back on a contract basis up to age 60. Following the March 2024 Government decision to extend the mandatory retirement age for all uniformed services to 62, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage extended this temporary arrangement to age 62, pending the legislative change. This temporary arrangement will now remain in place for those retained fire fighters who have already availed of it, however it will no longer be available to new applicants as they will now be permitted to do so under the legislation.
From 19 August all retained firefighters are now able to remain in their roles, subject to the relevant medical assessment, up to age 62. There is no change to the Minimum Retirement Age of 55.
Up until today, the mandatory retirement age for Full Time Fire Brigade Employees was 55. From 19 August Full Time Fire Brigade Employees are now able to remain in their roles, subject to the relevant medical assessment, up to age 62. There is no change to the Minimum Retirement Age of 55.
There is no uniform position with regard to the mandatory retirement age for Full Time Fire Brigade Officers. The position is dependent on pension scheme membership and these existing arrangements will continue to apply.