asked the Minister for Health the reason the grade of supervising health inspector is excluded from the list of offices which qualify for the granting of added years service in the case of officers who retire from an office to which at the time of their retirement the Local Authorities (Officers/ Employees) Act, 1926, applies because the qualifications are professional; as by virtue of this exclusion such supervising health inspectors are debarred from such additional reckonability as provided for under section 13 (2) (a) of the 1956 Local Government (Superannuation) Act and by Article 6 (1) of the Local Government (Superannuation) Regulations, 1984; and if he will agree to their inclusion.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Supervising Health Inspectors.
9.
There are only a small number of posts in respect of which the qualifications are professional for the purpose of the addition of added years. Medical, dental and engineering posts are the main categories. Because candidates for such posts cannot hope to qualify for full superannuation entitlements special provision was made to give the holders of such posts added years for pension purposes.
The educational and experience requirements for other posts such as supervising health inspector are such that post holders normally qualify for full pension benefit.
The union representing health inspector grades recently submitted a claim seeking added years. Negotiations on this claim are in progress at present.
We will now proceed to priority questions.
I have to protest. I have been here for an hour. I do not think an hour is sufficient for questions on the health services.