The Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Ms Coughlan, has dismissed a report that the only way to halt the spiralling cost of State pensions is to raise the retirement age to 70.
The report, by the Society of Actuaries in Ireland, notes that the cost of State pensions is set to more than double by the year 2050. It suggests that the only way to avoid a financial disaster is to raise the retirement age to at least 70, and possibly 75.
"There are no plans whatsoever to increase the retirement age as suggested by the Society of Actuaries in today's press reports," said the minister.
At present, there are more than 400,000 people aged over 65 in Ireland. However, demographic statistics show that figure will rise to 1.25 million by 2050.
"I am acutely conscious of the changing demographics here which points to a larger older population in years to come," Ms Coughlan said.
She noted the Government has increased pensions by 59 per cent since 1997, changed the tax code to remove 77,000 pensioners from the tax net and established the national Pensions Reserve Fund.
She said the Government also planned to increase private/occupational pensions coverage from 50 to 70 per cent of workers and pointed out it had also recently introduced PRSAs to help increase pensions cover.
A fund of €500,000 has also been allocated to the Pensions Board for a major pensions awareness campaign.
The Society said the cost of paying State pensions was about 2.9 per cent of GDP but would rise to 7.9 per cent in 2050. If the shortfall was to be funded by income tax, it would mean raising the tax by 15 per cent.
Age Action Ireland said forcing people to work into their seventies is "anathema" to civilised social policy. A spokesman said although the traditional retirement age of 65 is "daft and outdated, great care should be exercised in extending that age".
"Retirement dates should, subject to some parameters, be a matter of choice," he said. "There should be a 'decade of retirement' allowing choice, depending on health, income and ability."