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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 19 Mar 1997

Vol. 476 No. 5

Written Answers - Pension Provisions.

Ned O'Keeffe

Question:

279 Mr. E. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Defence the reason a widow (details supplied) in County Cork of a retired civilian employee of his Department has been refused payment of her late husband's civilian pension. [7668/97]

In the case under reference, the widow concerned was not refused a pension. She was informed at the end of February that she would be entitled to a widow's pension with effect from 15 August 1998. The reasons for deferral to that date were also explained.

The background to the situation is as follows. The civilian employee referred to retired in November 1983. He died in February 1997. Upon the introduction of a voluntary widows' contributory pension scheme in 1979, the civilian employee had exercised his right to opt out of that scheme.

Under arrangements relating to the introduction of a revised compulsory spouses' contributory pension scheme in 1986, certain provisions were made for those who had opted out of the 1979 voluntary scheme, but who had retired before the introduction of the revised compulsory scheme in 1986. Under these arrangements, the former civilian employee, while on pension, could have opted to pay contributions under the 1986 scheme from his pension, and thus to secure coverage for his spouse under the 1986 scheme, in the event of his death. He did not so opt.

Alternatively, a widow of a civilian employee, who had retired before the introduction of the revised compulsory scheme in 1986, may accrue an entitlement to a pension over a period subsequent to the death of her husband, this period of deferral acting in lieu of notional contributions to the scheme.

I might point out that the usual Department of Social Welfare entitlements should also be available to the person in question.

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