The Green Party would increase the State pension by €25 per week every year if elected to Government, the party's ardfheis in Galway heard today.
The party's social and family affairs spokesman Dan Boyle called for the State pension to be increased from the current level of 30 per cent of average income to a European average of 60 per cent.
"It is clear that such a huge change of provision cannot be achieved overnight," he said. "It would require significant incremental increases over a period of three governments to make this leap."
By the end of the next Government's term of office, an annual increase of €25 per week would bring the State pension to €334, or 40 per cent of average income.
Mr Boyle also said all citizens should be entitled to an individual pension in their own right. "We would intend to end the concept of being an adult dependent in social welfare," he said.
The Greens would also remove tax relief on private pensions and replace it with a matching contribution scheme, which Mr Boyle described as "a type of rolling SSIA scheme" which would be targeted at savers saving at lower amounts.
In addition, Mr Boyle said his party would introduce the concept of optional retirement, allowing people to decide if they wanted to continue working after the age of 65 and receive a reduced pension in addition to their earnings.
In a statement this afternoon, Age Action Ireland described the proposals as a "welcome contribution" to the debate about the reform of the State pension.
Last night, party leader Trevor Sargent told the 500 ardfheis delegates that child-centred policies, community gardai and renewable energy will be priorities in Government.
The Dublin North TD said putting Greens in Government meant proper planning, warmer housing, energy efficiency, better public transport and job creation through renewable projects.
He ruled out any pre-election promises like tax cuts pledged by Labour or the Progressive Democrats.
"Ireland has been led down the road of auction politics before with disastrous consequences. The Green Party is about action politics, not auction politics."
Within ten years, the Green Party will ensure that every new house in this country will be designed and built as carbon neutral, he added.
"Energy bills will be slashed. No more dodgy builders on my watch," he said.
Earlier, Mr Sargent said the Greens could return to the Dail with 10 or more TDs after the general election. He insisted he would not lead the party into a Fianna Fail-led administration but would serve as minister.
The ardfheis ends today.