Vol. 509 No. 4
205 Ms Clune asked the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the fact that those employees availing of job sharing positions in the Civil Service can only contribute for six months in any working year towards their pension entitlements; his views on this in view of the fact that job sharers cannot take up any other employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20637/99]
Job-sharing is one of a series of initiatives in the Civil Service designed to allow staff to match family commitments with the demands of the workplace. It would not be consistent with the aims of the job-sharing scheme if staff were permitted to take up other forms of employment whilst given time off from the Civil Service to spend additional time with their families. I draw your attention to the fact that Civil Service job sharers who expect to have less than maximum pensionable service at retirement and have been job-sharing for at least five years, or who are at least 50 years of age at the time they commence job-sharing, can, under special agreed arrangements, purchase additional years of service to augment their ultimate pension benefits.
