Vol. 523 No. 5
197 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if special increases, negotiated through the benchmarking process of the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, will be passed on in the normal way to benefit pensioners who retired from similar grades; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21656/00]
I am not prepared to speculate on the outcome of the benchmarking exercise under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. However, the Deputy will be aware that in its Action Programme for the Millennium, the Government undertook to protect public service pensions. To date, all pay increases have been passed on to pensioners on the basis of parity, including the special pay increase of 2% under the Partnership 2000 Agreement. The issue of pension increases generally is being considered by the Commission on Public Service Pensions at present. The commission is expected to submit its report before the end of the year. I look forward to receiving its recommendations and I will be considering future pension increases in that context.
