asked the Minister for Education why a secondary teacher who freely goes into the secondary teachers' superannuation scheme may not freely opt out of this scheme.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Secondary Teachers' Superannuation.
36.
Mr. O'Malley
The secondary teachers' superannuation scheme is statutory, and one of its terms prescribes that a member cannot leave the scheme until he ceases to be engaged in approved teaching service.
In order to make satisfactory provision for a pension fund it is necessary to have a reasonably consistent body of membership and to be able to anticipate some consistency in income. Actuarial assessment of income and expenditure would be almost impossible if members were free to leave and rejoin the scheme at will.
Furthermore, it is the Department's experience that it is in the members' own interest to remain in the superannuation scheme. Representations to join the scheme on favourable terms are often received from teachers nearing pension age who had remained outside the scheme. These teachers deeply regret their lack of foresight in not having become members of the scheme sufficiently early in their teaching career to earn entitlement to the greatest possible superannuation benefits.
37.
asked the Minister for Education if he has had consultations with insurance companies with a view to procuring a superannuation scheme for secondary teachers better than that already available, and, if not, if he will now have consultations with such companies to this end.
Mr. O'Malley
I have not had consultations with insurance companies in regard to the superannuation scheme for secondary teachers, and I do not propose to have such consultations. Such a proposal could only be considered in the context of public service pensions generally.