Seán Crowe
Question:379 Mr. Crowe asked the Minister for Education and Science if he intends to proceed with the proposal to restrict teachers’ pensions. [11532/04]
View answerTuesday, 27 April 2004
Questions (321)
Written answers
I take it the Deputy is referring to the question of the minimum age at which pension should become payable to teachers. This issue, including the minimum age at which pension should become payable to public servants generally, has been the subject of a Government decision which was announced in the budget and has been explained to the public service unions. The decision reached, with which I am in full agreement, is that the minimum age at which pension should become payable to the generality of new entrants to the public service from 1 April 2004, including teachers, be set at 65. This decision, together with the decision that the upper age limit for retirement be abolished in the case of new entrants, has been included in the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004 which was enacted on 25 March last.
I emphasise that the Act applies to new entrants and that teachers already in service on 31 March 2004 and whose service in public service employment from that date is uninterrupted, or is interrupted by a period not exceeding 26 weeks, may continue to avail of the provisions for retirement which were in place on 31 March 2004.