Thanks for the contributions, complicated topic, but firstly employers should strip away the mandatory age on at least the grounds that it is ageist.
Public sector employers currently operate 4 Pension strands, Strand 2 which I am on has a mandatory retirement age of 65 while Strand 4 has average earnings and a 70 year retirement age. Hypothetically someone my age could technically join the organisation on Strand 4 and be allowed retire at 70 while I must go at 65! Some radical thinking needs to be done.
I don't believe in this day and age that older workers hang onto jobs that prevent younger workers entering employment. I do think there should be optionality to allow a worker work up their 40/80s minimum should they so desire. Other things to consider are that market conditions when a worker "has" to retire may not favour their pension annuity pricing. They should have the option to go when they want to go or at least work until the State Pension age, in my case there will be a 3 year gap between both.
One issue of contention in the Public service has been the cost neutral or early retirement of Public sector workers. These retirees were allowed retire with lump sums by our hero Brendan Howlin and are now eating into the pension pot from age 55 in some cases. It is the sheer numbers that were let retire early that will come home to roost. While this has been good in bringing new younger workers, these younger workers are well educated graduates. These well educated graduates want fast promotions compared to the worker they replaced. Promotions are putting financial strain on pay structures, so they tend to leave and move on. One wonders if the status quo were left as it was then the pension pot would not be hit so hard so early!