Sir, – I refer to the article regarding pensions and the launch of the interdepartmental report on working longer until retirement age ("Government plans to make it easier to continue to work past retirement age", August 13th). This is a document drawn up by the most senior civil servants and politicians of this country, people who, when they retire, will experience comfortable lives on very, very comfortable pensions. Are we all fools or not? – Yours, etc,
PAT SAVAGE,
Drogheda,
Co Louth.
Sir, – The age at which Irish citizens can claim contributory State pensions has since 2014 been raised to 66. Is it not now time that the age at which our parliamentary representatives can draw down their pensions should also be raised to 66? – Yours, etc,
LOUIS O’FLAHERTY,
Santry, Dublin 9.
Sir, – If evidence were needed that establishments do not understand what is happening to work and employment in the 21st century, it is surely found in the absurd decision to allow those obliged to cease employment at 65 to continue working for several more years. If any inkling of reality existed among those who govern us and those who advise them, retirement age would be set on a rapid downward spiral so that many more jobs could be generated from the radically reducing quantity of human labour required in an entirely transformed technological age.
For the first time in history, the world produces more than it can consume. This phenomenon is facilitated by an enormous advance of technology, and one of the consequences is that reliance on human labour is eliminated quicker than ever before. This is happening at a quicker rate than new technological opportunity can create alternative types of work. The result is that there is simply not enough work in the world to provide sufficient employment necessary to sustain coherent social order according to present thinking.
If employment is eroded at the same pace and on a similar scale to technological elimination of work, a tsunami of unemployment will sweep the world, bringing social unrest and extreme politics that could jeopardise democracy and civilisation itself.
The only way to avoid such an eventuality is to entirely rethink the role of employment in an era of rampant automation and robotics. Employment will be far more necessary for distribution of wealth rather than its creation in future society. Fortunately, machines can create sufficient wealth to finance paid employment and entitlements for a lot more people doing a lot less work. Increasing the age when people desist from increasing less relevant employment is about as wrong as policy can get in facing up to the unprecedented employment transformation that engulfs the world. – Yours, etc,
PADRAIC NEARY,
Tubbercurry,
Co Sligo.
Sir, – With regard to the recent controversy about the funding of pensions in retirement, it seems to me eminently sensible for the Government to consider allowing public servants to work flexible hours – for example, half-time from the age of retirement and beyond. Having a system in place where flexible hours of working past 60 or 65 could offer significant benefits for employee and employers if the employee wishes to continue in work. Creative solutions are required to deal with this very complex issue. – Yours, etc,
Dr CORA STACK,
Institute of Technology,
Tallaght,
Dublin 24.