asked the Minister for the Public Service if he will explain the inordinate delay in designating the secondary teacher and Garda Síochána services under section 4 of the Superannuation and Pensions Act, 1963.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Public Service Pension Rights.
29.
It is not now essential to proceed with the formal designation, under section 4 of the Superannuation and Pensions Act, 1963, of the secondary teacher and Garda services to enable pension rights to be transferred between these services. This arises from acceptance of a report by a Joint Offical Side/Staff Side Working Party on superannuation which recommended, inter alia, that all service in the public service should be aggregated for pension purposes and that the provisions of the 1963 Act should be liberalised. Accordingly, gardaí who took up secondary teaching appointments and who, to protect their Garda pension rights, remain on special leave without pay from that service, may now join the secondary teachers' superannuation scheme. The Minister for Education has been informed accordingly and subject to his agreement and to the payment by them of the appropriate contributions, their service from the commencement of teaching service, together with their actual pensionable Garda service, will reckon for superannuation.
Could the Minister state if he has in mind the introduction of legislation to iron out anomalies in all pension schemes, particularly where people have changed from one service to another, as he seems to indicate here?
That is the general intention, but the Deputy will appreciate that this is a most complicated procedure.
Yes. I know it is.
One certainly does not want to rush at it and perhaps generate more anomalies in the process. Where any difficulties arise, they are being ironed out in practice, in anticipation of the necessary legislation.
30.
asked the Minister for the Public Service if he will raise the limit for pension purposes from two to six years in respect of officers in the public service who served full-time in the Army during the Emergency years.
As regards linking service in the Defence Forces during the Emergency with service in the civil service the position is that, at present, up to two years of Emergency Army service can, subject to certain conditions, be added to pensionable service in the civil service. However, following agreement last year to amend the civil service superannuation code, service in the Defence Forces will be reckonable for the purposes of the Civil Service Superannuation Acts, provided the following general conditions are complied with: (i) a pension is not already payable in respect of the Defence Force service; (ii) any lump sum payment made under the Defence Force schemes, in respect of such service, is refunded; and (iii) the Defence Force service was not terminated by dismissal.
It is the intention also to link-up Defence Force service with service in the Garda and national and secondary teaching services, subject to the agreement of the appropriate Ministers responsible for those services.