asked the Minister for Health whether any hospital consultants retired in 1986 and if so, if he will give full details of the pension and lump sum payments in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
211.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Payments to Hospital Consultants.
41.
asked the Minister for Health if he will give details of any pensions or lump sum payments paid to each hospital consultant who retired between 1981 and 1985 under the terms of the 1981 common contract.
I propose to take Questions Nos 41 and 211 together.
During 1986, 13 consultants holding the common contract in voluntary hospitals ceased pensionable employment on age grounds. Two other consultants died in service.
The total net cost of the actual lump sum, including death gratuity, benefit paid in 1986 under the voluntary hospitals superannuation scheme was £79,706. The gross cost of that benefit was £503,778, which was abated by arrears of superannuation contributions due in respect of reckonable service prior to the introduction of the common contract. The gross annual cost in a full year of the pensions involved is £119,000 approximately, at salary rates effective from 1 May 1987.
Between 1981 and 1985, 122 cases of retirement or death in service of consultants occurred in voluntary hospitals. The actual net cost of all lump sum benefit paid in those years was about £0.5 million, that is a gross cost of about £4.5 million reduced by arrears of contributions. At present, there are 93 retired voluntary hospital consultants in receipt of pensions and 23 pensions are being paid to widows of deceased consultants. The total gross annual cost in a full year is about £1.216 million at 1 May 1987 rates. The benefits payable under the scheme to consultants are the normal benefits due to scheme members.
Consultants in the health board service were already superannuable before the introduction of the common contract in accordance with the terms of the local government superannuation code which is administered by the Department of the Environment.
When the Minister says that hospital consultants ceased employment, does that imply they were never re-employed as locums in the health service? If consultants were re-employed as locums, will the Minister say whether they continued to receive pension payments during their period of re-employment?
I do not have that information available but I will communicate with the Deputy.