Public Sector Pensions

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 November 2013

Wednesday, 20 November 2013

Questions (142, 143)

Clare Daly

Question:

142. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that in a reply to a parliamentary question on 27 September 2012, he divulged that the payments to the Westmeath county manager who retired on 3 January 2006 consisted of a lump sum-gratuity payment of €200,000 and an annual pension of €51,000; and that the payments to the Monaghan county manager who retired on 30 November 2010 consisted of a lump sum payment of €201,000 and an annual pension of €68,290; in a reply to a parliamentary question on 4 July 2013 he divulged that the payments to the Wexford county manager who retired on 30 November 2012 consisted of a lump sum payment of €202,000 and an annual pension of €67,548; if he will now divulge the payments made to the Sligo county manager who retired on 3 November 2013; the reason the Sligo county manager received a much larger sum than the aforementioned county managers; the type of bonus system that was in place to ensure increased payments for the retiring Sligo county manager; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49781/13]

Clare Daly

Question:

143. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform told Dáil Éireann that payments to everybody the public purse should be known; if his Department received any form of representations or communications from the County and City Managers Association and-or the Local Government Management Agency requesting that payments to retiring county managers should not be made public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49782/13]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

I propose to take Questions Nos. 142 and 143 together.

The former Sligo County Manager retired on 3 November and received superannuation benefits under Article 78(1) of the Local Government (Superannuation) (Consolidation) Scheme 1998 to 2012. Details of the superannuation benefits are outlined in the following table:

Local Authority Manager for:	Retirement Date	Age on Retirement	Added Years	Annual Pension	Lump Sum Payment	Special Severance Gratuity Payment
Sligo	3 November 2013	57	Nil	€62,827	€188,482	€62,827

My Department has not received any form of representations or communications from the County and City Managers Association or the Local Government Management Agency requesting that payments to retiring County Managers should not be made public. In accordance with the Government decision in respect of Secretaries General, which also applies to city and county managers, my Department has amended the regulations in respect of the superannuation benefits of city and county managers. Newly appointed city and county managers, unless they have already reached pension age, no longer benefit from immediate payment of pension and lump sum before they reach their preserved pension age; nor do they benefit from notional added years for pension purposes.