Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 October 2015
288. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if measures will be put in place to ensure that employees of State agencies and local authorities may remain in their employment until they reach the age at which they qualify to receive the State pension where their contracts of employment envisaged retirement at 65 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36208/15]
View answerResponsibility for conditions in respect of occupational pension and any maximum or compulsory retirement ages in particular areas of the public service are in general a matter for the relevant employer, pension administrator or Government Department in the first instance. However, I understand that public servants who began employment in a public service body prior to 1 April 2004 normally have a maximum retirement age of 65 under their terms and conditions of employment. For certain roles, such as members of the fire brigade or An Garda Síochána, the maximum retirement age may be lower. Public servants who have a maximum retirement age of 65 and have completed the applicable vesting period are eligible to receive a public service pension and retirement lump sum upon retirement. The minimum pension age for such persons is normally 60 or 65 years of age.
When a public service pension is integrated (or co-ordinated) with the Contributory State Pension (CSP), the public service pension amount paid is based on the assumption that the pensioner also receives the CSP. Where such a public service pensioner does not receive the CSP, or receives it only at a rate less than the maximum rate payable to a single person without dependants, then a discretionary supplementary pension may be payable under the relevant public service pension scheme.
In such cases, the public service supplementary pension is only payable where the pensioner remains unemployed and, through no fault of their own, does not qualify for any relevant social welfare benefit or qualifies at less than the maximum personal rate. It is therefore necessary for the person to claim any available social welfare benefits, for example Jobseeker's Benefit, in order to receive a supplementary pension. This situation is not new and already applies to public service workers who have a maximum retirement age below 65, such as members of the fire brigade or An Garda Síochána.
This supplementary pension, subject to meeting the terms and conditions outlined, may be payable to persons required to retire from public service jobs at age 65 years. The rate of payment of the supplementary pension is the difference between the combined amount of the public service pension and any available social welfare pension received by the retiree, and the amount of public service pension he or she would have received if that pension had been calculated on a basis which was not integrated with the CSP.
