Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 January 2016
780. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of giving added years to a special needs assistant who is to retire on health grounds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46896/15]
View answerThe pension provisions for Special Needs Assistants, (other than those who are member of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme), who are employed in recognised schools, include provision for the award of added years, for the calculation of pension benefits, where a SNA is successful in his/her application for retirement on pension on grounds of permanent ill health.
Where a person has competed at least five years of actual pensionable service the pension provisions include a framework for the award of added years. In accordance with this framework the amount of the added years that may be awarded in individual cases is determined taking into account the age and actual pensionable service of the individual at the date of retirement.
The amount of added years that may be awarded in accordance with the framework varies from individual to individual, however there are instances where an individual would not qualify for added years including, for example, a person who has reached mandatory retirement age or competed 40 years of pensionable service at retirement.
