asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware of the fact that civil servants who retired when the cost-of-living index figure was 150 are prevented from obtaining any increase in the cost-of-living bonus addition to their basic pensions although the cost-of-living index figure has now risen to 173, and whether in view of the hardship caused to officers in receipt of small pensions he will give favourable consideration to the question of adjusting the pensions in accordance with the cost-of-living index figure from time to time.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Civil Servants' Pensions.
As was intimated to the House by my predecessor on the 7th December last in reply to a question by Deputy Reidy, the allowances granted to civil servants on retirement cannot, under the existing provisions of the Superannuation Acts, exceed a prescribed proportion, appropriate to the retiring officer's length of service, of his pensionable salary and emoluments at the date of retirement. Therefore, that part of a retiring allowance which is based on bonus cannot exceed the prescribed proportion of the bonus paid to the officer at the date of his retirement. There is no power to reassess the award of pension subsequently by reference to any increased bonus which the officer would have received had he continued in the service. The effect of the Deputy's proposal would be to give an officer a pension based on a higher salary and emoluments than those actually received by him at the date of his retirement. I regret, therefore, that it is not possible to make any adjustment of the nature proposed by the Deputy.