Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 26 Jun 2001

Vol. 539 No. 1

Written Answers. - Nursing Staff Pensions.

Michael Ring

Question:

274 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason retired personnel in the nursing industry are not in receipt of pro rata pension increases in line with pay increases for existing personnel; and if this could be included as part of the national wage agreement. [18534/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The standard parity criteria whereby retired nurses benefit from adjustments made to the salaries applicable to the grades in which they served before their retirement continue to apply.

The Retired Nurses Association's concerns relate specifically to the senior staff nurse post, and to red circled allowances payable to deputy nursing officers, theatre night sisters and public health nurses.

The senior staff nurse is a new post created as part of the 1999 nurses' pay settlement. Staff appointed to these posts will benefit from the rate for the post on retirement.

With regard to the red circled allowances referred to above, these allowances only apply to nurses who were in employment on the effective date, 16 November 1999. As pensionable allowances are only taken into account at retirement where (a) actual moneys have been paid, and (b) contributions in respect of such payments have been made to the superannuation scheme, it fol lows that these allowances cannot be applied to pensioners who retired before the effective date.

My Department has confirmed with the Department of Finance that this approach is consistent with public service pensions increase policy.