Departmental Staff Redeployment

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 November 2013

Wednesday, 6 November 2013

Questions (32)

Lucinda Creighton

Question:

32. Deputy Lucinda Creighton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide details of the severance settlements and pension arrangements for the local staff not diplomatically accredited to the Irish Embassy to the Holy See when it was closed; the total number of local staff not diplomatically accredited to the Irish Embassy to the Holy See at the time of its closure; the length of time each local staff member not diplomatically accredited to the Irish Embassy to the Holy See had worked at the Embassy at the time of its closure; the number of the local staff that were redeployed or where attempts were made by his Department to redeploy them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47344/13]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade

Four locally recruited staff were employed at the Embassy of Ireland to the Holy See with length of service ranging from 1 to 18 years. One of the locally recruited staff was employed on a part time temporary contract which expired at the end of December 2011, and one member of cleaning staff, whose services were no longer required, was made redundant as a result of the closure of this mission. The other two full time staff were offered alternative positions under new contracts at the Embassy to Italy to fill vacancies arising naturally there, and of these, one chose not to avail of this offer. Severance payments totalling €25,394.23 were paid to the staff concerned in accordance with Italian law.

Former members of local staff at the Embassy to the Holy See may be considered, when they reach age 65, for retirement benefits in accordance with the provisions of the Non-Contributory Pension Scheme for Non-Established State Employees. The severance payments made to the local staff following the closure of the Embassy and any pension benefits payable to the local staff from the Italian authorities may be taken into account by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform when determining any pension payments under the Non-Contributory Pension Scheme for Non-Established State Employees.