My colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, has primary responsibility for the Garda pension scheme. However, I am aware of the campaign referred to and can address the issue in the context of my responsibility for public service pensions generally.
As regards the background to this case, I am advised that a 1983 arbitration finding recommended that certain Garda allowances should be made pensionable with effect from 1 October 1982. The finding was applied only to personnel who retired on or after that date. The pensionability of the Garda unsocial hours allowance was treated in a similar way when it was introduced. It was applied, with effect from 1 January 1994, to personnel who retired or died in service on or after 1 January 1993. The position was consistent with that in other areas of the public service where in the context of making allowances pensionable the benefits were confined to those retiring after a specified date and did not extend to pensioners who retired before that date.
