The pension qualification age will not hit 67 next year as expected if Fianna Fail and Fine Gael manage to form a government.
Micheal Martin pledged the change due to take place in January will be postponed.
He added there will be a “transition pension” for those who retire at 65, a year before they’re eligible for the State one.
But Labour’s social protection spokesman Ged Nash said that while he welcomes the move he will “believe it when he sees it” as the plan does not appear in Fianna Fail and Fine Gael’s so-called “wish list”.
He added: “It’s better late than never from Fianna Fail who have only now been converted to keeping the pension age at 66.
“I’ll only believe it when I see the legislation before me, but it’s notable that this commitment does not form part of the Fine Gael/Fianna Fail wish list for government.
“I have been consistent that the pension age should not go to 67. It’s just too far, too fast.
“Many workers now reaching 66 have already paid stamps for 45 years or more and under their contracts may have to retire at 65.”
Fianna Fail had initially been reluctant to stand in the way of plans to raise the pension age to 67 from the start of next year, but Mr Martin told the Sunday Independent that 66 will remain the official retirement age.
He said: “I think there’s agreement on that and that’s not happening. I think the programme for government will have to specify that and that’s a matter for discussion between two parties.”
Mr Martin added he wants to “refine” social distancing to allow people to travel further than the allowed 2km from their homes and people who are over 70 should be allowed out of their house to take exercise.
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