asked the Minister for Finance the action if any he proposes to take to facilitate mobility, either on a short term or permanent basis, of skilled staff from the public sector into business enterprises, especially in respect of pension rights and their transferability.
Written Answers. - Staff Mobility.
25.
There are two schemes operating in the Civil Service which facilitate the mobility of staff on a short term basis from the Civil Service to the private sector. These are (1) the executive exchange programme scheme and (2) the career break scheme.
The objective of the executive exchange programme is to enable senior civil servants to participate in responsible and challenging positions in the private sector and to give executives from the private sector an opportunity of working in the Civil Service. The usual duration of an executive exchange is two years.
Under the career break scheme, staff may take special leave without pay for periods of one to five years for a number of purposes including employment in the private sector and starting up a business. The scheme was introduced in the Civil Service in 1984 and subsequently extended to other areas of the public sector.
Provisions already exist under the public sector superannuation arrangements which allow staff to resign at any stage in advance of the minimum retirement age and, provided they have at least five years pensionable service, to have a pension and lump sum preserved and paid at age 60 on an uprated basis. These provisions permit mobility from the public sector without loss of pension rights. In addition it is open to private sector business enterprises to participate in transfer arrangements with the public sector.