Pensions Reform

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 June 2014

Thursday, 26 June 2014

Questions (94)

Robert Troy

Question:

94. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 322 of 17 June 2014, his views on the removal of the transition pension, where a 65-year old having to retire is forced to sign on for jobseeker's benefit for the interim year 65-66; and his views on persons, working in the Civil Service and Health Service Executive, who for the second time in their lives will be forced to leave their job - the first time being when ladies married and were no longer allowed to work in the Civil Service, An Garda Síochána and the Health Service Executive and the second time having to retire at 65 years of age - and are penalised at pension age as their first contribution was paid a long number of years ago and any subsequent pension is divided by the number of years contributions are paid in. [27770/14]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

It should be pointed out that public service workers who retire at the relevant mandatory retirement age, normally 65, continue be able to draw their occupational public service pension.  The pensions (and contributions) of the majority of public servants who are fully insured and are in defined benefit pension schemes are, like many occupational pension schemes, integrated (or co-ordinated) with social welfare benefits. This means the occupational pension is paid on the assumption that the pensioner also receives the State Pension.

In instances when the State Pension is not payable, a discretionary supplementary pension may be payable under the relevant public service pension scheme to bring the pension up to the same amount as would be paid to a public servant whose pension is not integrated.  In such cases, a supplementary pension is only payable where the individual, through no fault of their own, does not qualify for social welfare benefit or qualifies at less than the maximum personal rate. In order to avoid any difficulty in the payment of this supplementary pension, it is necessary to claim any available social welfare benefits in order to receive a supplementary pension. This situation is not new and in particular applies to public servants who have a retirement age below 65.  While State Pension provision and entitlements are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection, I have no plans to introduce any special arrangements in respect of retiring public servants in this regard.