A re-examination of compulsory retirement at the age of 65 was called for yesterday by the Tanaiste, who said measures were needed to enable older people to return to the workforce.
Ms Harney said she would bring proposals to the Government shortly to maximise opportunities for people aged 55 and over to come out of retirement if they wished to do so.
"There are huge labour shortages in the Irish market. We are travelling around the world to encourage people to come to Ireland," she said. "But there are many people in Ireland who had to retire at a particular age, who may wish to return to the workforce, and I think we have to make it easier for them to do so."
It was clear there were many retired people with adequate pensions who had put their working days behind them and had no desire to return to a job. "But there are tens of thousands also who would love to participate. Why can't they? Because they run up against a range of barriers based on ageist attitudes."
People returning to the public service had to go back to the bottom of the pay scale and pay back any gratuity received, with some forgoing pension entitlements.
Many had retired at a relatively young age from the Garda Siochana and other areas of the public service and could be encouraged back to work with imaginative policies. Some of them faced prejudice from former employers because of their age, she said.
"These are not insurmountable problems, but the time has come for the Government to make a real effort to address them and to tailor public policies to suit the over-55s."
"We must endeavour to create a more flexible workforce. We must examine the whole issue of the compulsory retirement age and allowing people to continue to work after they have passed the age of 65, and we need to raise the awareness of employers - including public sector employers - about the contribution which older workers can make."
Speaking following a meeting of the Progressive Democrats' parliamentary party in Waterford, Ms Harney said that at a time when the Irish economy had never seen such success, it was important that all sections of society were given the opportunity to share in that success.
