John Perry
Question:263 Mr. Perry asked the Minister for Health and Children his plans to give pay parity for psychiatric nurses who retired prior to 1999; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30767/01]
Written Answers. - Nursing Staff.
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.
I presume the Deputy is referring 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 monies have been paid, and (b) contributions in respect of such payments have been made to the superannuation scheme, it follows 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.