Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 May 2004
249 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position regarding his examination of the inadequate pension of members of the Garda Síochána who retired before 1 January 2003; and his plans to address this inequality. [12749/04]
View answerThe background to this case is 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.
In September 2001, the Government decided to accept the thrust of the package of reforms recommended by the Commission on Public Service Pensions and to establish a working group to advise on implementation as provided for in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. Parallel structures with the same remit were established in the case of the Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces. The operational details of the implementation of the commission recommendations are being agreed by Government following receipt of a report from the implementation working group and a report from the Garda Síochána pensions parallel working group.
The position on the issue of parity of pensions for members of the Garda Síochána who retired prior to 1993, who do not receive the unsocial hours element in their pensions, and those who retired prior to 1982, who do not receive the rent allowance element in their pensions, is that the commission examined the specific issue of the pensionability of allowances for members of the Garda Síochána and others, as part of its deliberations, but having assessed the arguments involved, did not recommend any increase in pension for the groups involved. Having regard to the report of the commission, I have no plans to make any changes in respect of the pensionability of the Garda allowances.
It should be noted that the concession sought in relation to the Garda allowances could not be confined to the Garda and there would be considerable additional costs with regard to allowances in other areas of the public sector, notably the Defence Forces, teachers and prison officers. A concession in these areas could impose a very significant cost on the State — in excess of approximately €12 million a year and an accrued liability of about €152 million, based on 1997 costs for Garda and Defence Forces pensioners outlined in the final report of the Commission on Public Service Pensions when considering the issue of extending pensionability.
I do not agree that an annual pension in excess of €19,000 — the current annual basic pension of a retired member of Garda rank with full service, could be regarded as being inadequate.
