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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 25 Apr 1990

Vol. 397 No. 9

Written Answers. - Nurses' Superannuation Schemes.

Ivan Yates

Question:

85 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Finance if he will allow Irish student nurses who train in Britain and subsequently return here for employment to have superannuation credits for their period of training abroad; and if there will be reciprocal arrangements for superannuation between member states within the EC between now and 1992.

Liam Hyland

Question:

92 Mr. Hyland asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Irish nurses trained in England and who later took up nursing employment in Ireland will not have their years of employment in Britain taken into consideration for pension purposes; and if, in view of our membership of the EC, he will have the regulations amended for the purpose of allowing full eligibility from the date of training.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 85 and 92 together.

The superannuation schemes which apply to members of the Irish nursing service, in common with the schemes applicable throughout the public sector generally, provide that the service which is taken into account for benefit purposes comprises

(a) service given in the employing organisation, plus
(b) service given in other organisations which is reckonable under the terms of the public sector transfer scheme or the local government transfer scheme.
These transfer schemes, which are operated by my Department and the Department of the Environment respectively, provide for the transfer of service on a reciprocal basis between participating organisations. Any organisation in the public or private sector, including organisations based in Britain and elsewhere is free to participate in these schemes provided it is prepared to accept the obligations of membership, including the liability to make contributions where necessary towards the ultimate cost of service transfers. However, neither the British NHS nor any other British organisation has hitherto been willing to join the transfer schemes.
In the absence of a reciprocal transfer agreement with the appropriate British authorities, it would not be appropriate to amend Irish public sector superannuation schemes to allow credit for service in Britain on a "one-way transfer" basis. Such an arrangement would entail substantial additional costs for the Exchequer which could not be justified.
I am not aware of any EC initiatives which would resolve the problems outlined above, in the near future at least.
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