John Ellis
Question:47 Mr. Ellis asked the Minister for Health if he will give a guarantee that retired nurses' pensions will be linked to the salary scale of the post which they held prior to retirement. [23568/96]
Written Answers. - Nurses' Pensions.
Limerick East): It is the Government's intention that retired nurses and other public servants will benefit from the local bargaining clause of the Programme for Competitiveness and work pay agreement.
The energies of the management side dealing with the nurses' claim have so far been concentrated on developing jointly with the nursing unions, a set of proposals designed to bring to finality the nurses' claim under theProgramme for Competitiveness and Work. The Deputy will be aware that revised proposals arising from the independent adjudication process—provided for in the framework agreed between the Government and ICTU — have been rejected by the INO and IMPACT.
The pay proposals developed to date involve an element of restructuring, as provided for under the local bargaining clause of theProgramme for Competitiveness and Work pay agreement. This applies to nurses and many other groups such as civil servants, clerical and administrative grades in the health boards and local authorities, teachers, gardaí, etc. who have or are concluding agreements under the restructuring option of the Programme for Competitiveness and Work.
Generally speaking, the agreements emerging do not provide for uniform increases across groups and in many cases even within grades. This complicates the position regarding adjustments to pensions and this questions will now have to be considered in respect of all affected groups across the public service.
Detailed discussions on this issue have yet to take place. When this general policy issue has been resolved, my Department will be in a position to clarify the adjustments to be made to retired health service staff, including nurses.