Skip to content
Retired Members

Retired Members' Section

The Retired Members' Section - which was originally established in 1996 as an ad hoc grouping within the Union - achieved formal status in 2003 when  the Union's National Delegate Conference adopted new rules outlining the status of the Retired Members' Section and clarifying the definition of a “retired member.”

So the Retired Members’ Section is now an integral part of SIPTU. It has been established to provide support and information for retired members of the Union, and to enable them to continue  to participate in the growth and development of the Union.
    The Retired Members’ Section operates from the offices of SIPTU’s Social Solidarity Service in Eden Quay, Dublin – beside Liberty Hall - and has a presence in other regional offices around the country.

The Section is organised through the Union’s Branches – each of which is required to set up a Branch-Level Section for its retired members and to co-opt a retired members’ representative onto its Branch Committee. Regional Committees also operate in each of the Union’s five Regions and a National Committee is elected at a national conference of retired members’ delegates held every two years.

The Section deals with a range of issues of concern to retired members including social  welfare, health, pensions, personal security, retirement planning and public transport. It also oversees the general organising of retired members throughout the country, ensuring they are properly registered by each Branch. Anomalies which formerly existed with regard to the Union’s retirement benefits have also been addressed by changes to the Rules.

The Section is also active in lobbying Government Departments and State agencies on issues of concern to retired people, including submissions to the Minister for Finance on the Budget. It is affiliated to the Irish Senior Citizens’ National Parliament – a federation of over 300 organisations representing older people throughout Ireland – and is represented on the Parliament’s National Executive.

As a result of representations made by the Section, the Union’s National Executive Council has agreed that retired members may now represent the Union on local Councils of Trade Unions, community and other organisations.

The Section also engages  in:

  • campaigning on issues of particular concern to retired members by making representations to the appropriate authorities and highlighting issues in the media;
  • providing information to members on the work of the Retired Members' Section; and
  • advising the Union's National Executive Council of issues of particular concern to retired members.

In co-operation with Irish Trade Union Trust, the Retired Members’ Section, now provides up-to-date information – using the Comhairle data bank – on a range of issues including:

  • social welfare problems
  • health services
  • pensions
  • housing and rents
  • family law.

This service can be contacted through your local Union Branch or by phoning 1890-661177 or by e-mail at retired@siptu.ie

The phonecall will only cost the price of a local call from anywhere within the Republic.

This service is available to all members of the Union – whether working, retired or unemployed.

As part of its commitment to the interests of senior citizens generally, SIPTU is affiliated to the following organisations:

  • The Irish Senior Citizens’ National Parliament which represents over 300 associations throughout the country      catering for the interests of the aged. (Members of the Retired Members’ Section National Committee have been elected to the National Executive of the Parliament.)
  • The Retired Workers’ Committee of the  Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
  • The Retirement Planning Council of Ireland.

For more information on the work of the Retired Members' Section, click on the topics in the Section index in the left-hand column.


The current officers of the Retired Members' Section are:

  • Jim Quinn, Chair;
  • Tadhg Philpott, Vice-Chair, and
  • Ross Connolly, Secretary.

The Section's Project Manager is Paddy Moran who can be contacted at Liberty Hall, Eden Quay, Dublin 1, or by phone at 01-8787272.
   




Previous and Next: Pensions | SIPTU College