Thursday, 19 Jan 2017

Written Answers Nos. 164 - 178

School Meals Programme

Questions (164)

Noel Rock

Question:

164. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Social Protection the criteria which non-DEIS schools must meet in order to receive funding for the provision of breakfast clubs in non-DEIS schools; the number of non-DEIS schools that have applied to date; the number of non-DEIS schools that have been successful; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2483/17]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The school meals programme provides funding towards the provision of food to schools and organisations benefitting over 200,000 children at a total cost of €42 million in 2016. As part of Budget 2017, I announced an additional €5.7 million for school meals which will benefit over 50,000 children.

From September 2016 additional funding is being provided to DEIS schools already participating in the scheme to provide breakfast and lunch to pupils. Also, some 17 new DEIS schools have joined the scheme for the current academic year and a further 8 have expressed an interest in joining.

The additional funding allocated in Budget 2017 makes some provision towards the extension of the scheme to breakfast clubs in non-DEIS schools from September 2017. This is the first time in many years that increased payments will be provided to schools outside of DEIS.

Officials in my Department are engaging with colleagues in the Department of Education and Skills regarding options for the provision of the additional funding to both DEIS and non-DEIS schools for the next school year, commencing in September 2017. Priority will be provided to those schools where there is most need and they will be contacted by the Department inviting them to join the school meals scheme.

I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy. If you require any further assistance with this matter please do not hesitate to contact Philip in my office.

National Internship Scheme Data

Questions (165, 166, 167)

Niall Collins

Question:

165. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of companies that have been disqualified from the JobBridge scheme following investigations by his Department in the period since the scheme was established on an annual basis, in tabular form; the total annual number of recipients which were participating on the scheme in companies that were subsequently disqualified with a breakdown by employment sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2497/17]

Niall Collins

Question:

166. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number and percentage of JobBridge scheme participants that secured paid employment within three, six, nine and 12 months of completing an internship on an annual basis, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2498/17]

Niall Collins

Question:

167. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection the total number of persons that have participated in the JobBridge national internship programme on a county basis; the total annual number of participants that dropped out of the scheme before completion on a county basis and on an annual basis, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2499/17]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

I propose to take Questions Nos. 165 to 167, inclusive, together.

JobBridge was introduced in July 2011 in response to the unprecedented collapse of our economy and particularly the sharp and dramatic increase in unemployment. Its main aim was to help unemployed jobseekers to break the vicious cycle of ‘no experience no job, but no job no experience’. Since then over 19,000 Host Organisations have offered work placement opportunities to over 48,000 participants. A detailed breakdown of participants on a county basis is available in Appendix 1.

My Department does not compile the detailed progression statistics on an annual basis requested, however the findings of the recent external evaluation of JobBridge by Indecon Economic Consultants shows that it has been very effective in improving the employment outcomes of jobseekers. It indicates that 79% of participants – over 38,000 people – have had some period of employment since completing their placement, with over 64% still in employment. Compared to non-participants, jobseekers who participated in JobBridge improved their employment outcomes by 32%. By any measure this is a significant uplift and shows that placements with a direct link to an employer deliver higher employment outcomes than other options.

Appendix 2 contains tables on employment progression outcomes highlighted in the Indecon evaluation. Table 5.13 shows progression outcomes by length of time since the internship finished. Table 5.10 shows the current employment status of participants by sector of Host Organisations. The complete evaluation can be found at: http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/JobBridge-Evaluation.aspx.

Just under half (45%) of all placements finish early – for a variety of reasons. Almost half (49%) of those who finish early say it is to take up employment and a further 7% go on to further education, training or another internship. About 30% leave for a variety of personal, domestic or health reasons. 14% leave early because they did not find the internship suitable, which is not surprising given that, for many, JobBridge is a first-chance opportunity and sometimes participants find that the particular career direction is not for them. The Department continues to work with them to support them with a range of alternative pathways to work. Appendix 3 provides an annual breakdown on a county basis of the number of participants who dropped out of the scheme before completion.

An annual breakdown of the total number of companies that were suspended from participation in the scheme for any period since its inception is attached in Appendix 4. The table also highlights the number of participants in those companies, broken down by employment sector. No companies were suspended in 2011 or 2016. The Jobbridge scheme is no longer open to new participants or host organisations as such. There are no companies currently disqualified or suspended from participation in the scheme.

All participants are entitled to a quality work experience and every reasonable effort is made by my Department to minimise the risk of exploitation of the scheme by Host Organisations. All complaints are taken seriously, fully investigated and appropriate action taken in cases of non-compliance.

In addition to responding to complaints, my Department operates a robust monitoring regime and has conducted over 13,000 on-site inspection visits. The evidence from these inspections is that the vast majority of host organisations are fully compliant with the terms and conditions of the scheme. In fact, of the more than 19,000 Host Organisations that have participated in JobBridge, a total of 86 (less than half of 1%) have been suspended from participating in the scheme for any period.

The level of misuse of the scheme is therefore much lower than is popularly thought and this position has been confirmed by the Indecon evaluation. The scheme is viewed positively by the majority of participants. For example 70% of participants reported a quality work experience.

The Deputy will be aware that I intend to replace JobBridge with a new work experience programme later this year that is better suited to the much-improved labour market and addresses criticisms of the scheme. JobBridge was closed to new applications from October 2016 to allow for a period of consultation with key stakeholders on design principles that I announced and to facilitate an orderly wind down of the existing scheme. These consultations are currently underway.

Appendix 1

Number of participants by county*

County	Total
Carlow	693
Cavan	682
Clare	998
Cork	4,343
Donegal	1,611
Dublin	15,274
Galway	3,079
Kerry	1,553
Kildare	1,745
Kilkenny	713
Laois	695
Leitrim	305
Limerick	2,613
Longford	369
Louth	1,346
Mayo	1,314
Meath	1,187
Monaghan	848
Offaly	663
Roscommon	431
Sligo	914
Tipperary	1,536
Waterford	1,592
Westmeath	1,231
Wexford	1,399
Wicklow	1,018
Grand Total	48,152

*Figures as of July 2016

Appendix 2

Employment Progression Outcomes of Participants

Table 5.13: Progression Outcomes - If Intern Gained Paid Employment at any Stage since Internship by Length of Time since Internship Finishing (Percentage of Respondents)

		Completed Internship Less than 1 Month	Completed 1-2 Months	Completed 3-4 Months	Completed 5-6 Months	Completed 7-12 Months	Completed 13-24 Months	Completed Over 24 Months Ago
	All Responses	May 2016	March- April 2016	January- February 2016	November- December 2015	May- October 2015	April 2015- May 2014	Before May 2014
Gained paid employment at any stage since internship	79.1%	41.0%	53.8%	57.8%	66.2%	70.7%	79.2%	88.8%

Source: Indecon and DSP Confidential Survey of JobBridge Interns

Table 5.10: Progression Outcomes - Current Status of Intern by Sector of Host Organisation

(Percentage of Respondents)

Please indicate which of the following best describes your current situation:	All Responses	Private Sector/Commercial Organisation (incl. Commercial Semi-State Organisations)	Public Sector Organisation (incl. Non- Commercial Semi-State Organisations)	Community & Voluntary Sector Organisation
Employed with my JobBridge Host Organisation	26.7%	31.0%	19.8%	19.5%
Employed with another Organisation in same sector as Host Organisation	12.8%	13.5%	12.6%	9.5%
Employed in another sector	24.7%	23.6%	27.4%	26.7%
Percentage in Employment	64.2%	68.2%	59.8%	55.7%
Was employed on a short-term contract, which has now ended	3.9%	3.6%	4.6%	4.2%
Pursuing further education or training	6.4%	6.1%	6.3%	8.5%
Pursuing a third-level degree	3.2%	3.1%	3.5%	3.7%
Participating in JobsPlus scheme	1.6%	1.8%	1.2%	1.7%
Participating in JobPath	1.3%	1.0%	1.7%	1.3%
On another employment activation scheme (e.g. CE, Tús, Gateway)	3.1%	2.6%	3.5%	5.8%
Unemployed (in receipt of a Jobseekers payment)	14.3%	12.8%	16.1%	17.2%
On another social welfare payment/inactive	3.4%	3.0%	4.0%	3.4%
Have emigrated	3.4%	3.0%	4.0%	4.3%
Other	7.9%	7.4%	8.4%	9.6%

Source: Indecon and DSP Confidential Survey of JobBridge Interns

Note: Figures may not add up to 100% due to the ability to select multiple responses

Appendix 3

Early-finishers by county and by year*

County	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	Grand Total
Carlow	13	41	59	65	77	40	295
Cavan	2	34	72	77	56	21	262
Clare	8	80	97	130	76	24	415
Cork	72	392	478	517	422	175	2,056
Donegal	18	110	132	164	110	57	591
Dublin	268	1,462	1,903	1,993	1,549	556	7,731
Galway	32	231	344	356	304	117	1,384
Kerry	10	104	138	127	153	65	597
Kildare	25	134	180	205	209	87	840
Kilkenny	3	48	56	70	60	25	262
Laois	3	48	63	78	75	25	292
Leitrim	2	19	24	41	30	17	133
Limerick	25	215	262	300	246	107	1,155
Longford	3	26	39	27	37	18	150
Louth	20	82	127	156	143	60	588
Mayo	9	77	118	170	123	38	535
Meath	4	82	116	169	130	45	546
Monaghan	9	45	83	88	74	30	329
Offaly	1	44	53	86	70	30	284
Roscommon	0	15	34	41	49	13	152
Sligo	19	59	80	105	88	37	388
Tipperary	19	101	139	165	126	42	592
Waterford	10	124	166	137	136	67	640
Westmeath	16	82	95	150	117	61	521
Wexford	16	100	162	145	112	60	595
Wicklow	17	95	104	112	90	28	446
Total	624	3,850	5,124	5,674	4,662	1,845	21,779

* Figures as of July 2016

Appendix 4

Number of Companies Suspended and Participants per Sector

2012
Number of companies suspended		No. of interns per employment sector
	CLOTHING & FOOTWEAR MANUF	2
	INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY	9
	OTHER SERVICES	49
	PRINTING & PAPER	3
	RETAIL/W'SALE/HOTEL/CATER	11
	Other	3
19	Grand Total	77
2013		2013
Number of companies suspended		No. of interns per employment sector
	FINANCIAL SERVICES	1
	FOOD/DRINK/TOBACCO MANUF	2
	INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY	36
	OTHER SERVICES	34
	PRINTING & PAPER	1
	RETAIL/W'SALE/HOTEL/CATER	15
	TRANSPORT/COMMUNICATIONS	1
	Other	3
30	Grand Total	93
2014		2014
Number of companies suspended		No. of interns per employment sector
	CLEANING	1
	CONSTRUCTION	1
	FINANCIAL SERVICES	1
	FOOD/DRINK/TOBACCO MANUF	3
	INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY	1
	OTHER SERVICES	33
	RETAIL/W'SALE/HOTEL/CATER	7
	Other	1
22	Grand Total	48
2015		2015
Number of companies suspended		No. of interns per employment sector
	ENGINEERING	1
	FINANCIAL SERVICES	2
	FOOD/DRINK/TOBACCO MANUF	1
	OTHER SERVICES	17
	PRINTING & PAPER	1
	RETAIL/W'SALE/HOTEL/CATER	2
15	Grand Total	24

UK Referendum on EU Membership

Questions (168)

Niall Collins

Question:

168. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Social Protection the bilateral meetings he had with his European counterparts outside of Council of the European Union meetings, since the UK referendum to leave the EU took place, in which the issue of Brexit and the unique challenges faced by the island of Ireland was discussed, including the name of each European Government ministerial counterpart, the meeting location and the date of each meeting, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2524/17]

Written answers

Minister for Social Protection

The details, to date, are as follows:

Date	Meeting with	Meeting	Areas covered
14 July 2016	Mr Dragos Nicolae Pislaru - Minister for Labour, Family Social Protection and the Elderly, Romania	Informal Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council [EPSCO], Bratislava, Slovakia	Social Security, Posted Workers
8 December 2016	Mr Damian Hinds, Minister for Employment, UK Department of Work and Pensions	Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council [EPSCO], Brussels, Belgium	Social Security reform, social security benefits for Irish & UK citizens residing in each country.

The Taoiseach, I and other Ministers will continue to meet and engage with our EU counterparts over coming weeks to emphasise Ireland’s concerns and to ensure that they are fully reflected in the EU position once negotiations commence. This activity is reinforced by extensive engagement at diplomatic and official level. The Government is acutely aware of the potential risks and challenges for the Irish economy and will remain fully engaged on this aspect as the negotiations proceed. An important part of our preparations for the Brexit negotiations is ensuring that our particular concerns are heard and understood across Europe, and engagement with our EU partners and with the EU institutions is therefore critical. Of course, Ireland will be part of the EU 27 team and looks forward to working with our fellow Member States in delivering the best possible result for Ireland and for the EU.

I will be meeting with my UK counterpart Mr Damian Green M.P., Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in early February.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.

Foreign Policy

Questions (169)

Micheál Martin

Question:

169. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the increased violence in Turkey recently, including the murder of the Russian ambassador, in addition to the tragic loss of lives in a nightclub during the Christmas festivities in Istanbul; if this will be discussed at the next European meeting of Ministers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2255/17]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade

I was utterly appalled by these atrocious acts of violence. On 19 December, I issued a statement condemning the brutal assassination of the Russian Ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov. On 1 January, I issued a statement following the shooting at the Reina nightclub in Istanbul in the early hours of that morning. I unreservedly condemned this unspeakable attack, in which 39 people tragically lost their lives. I extended my condolences to the families of the deceased and injured in these heinous events, and to all the people of Turkey, who have suffered a surge in violent, terrorist attacks over the past year, carried out mainly by the outlawed PKK and its affiliates or ISIS.

The situation in Turkey was discussed at the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council on 16 November. Turkey was also extensively discussed in the context of Enlargement at the meeting of the General Affairs Council on 13 December. Presidency conclusions were subsequently issued, which were highly critical of current trends in Turkey, but, nonetheless, maintained the country’s candidate status. Ireland continues to support keeping the lines of communication open in all fora. All the people of Turkey, including minorities, deserve the prospect of a future in keeping with European values and it is important to keep the long-term rights and interests of all of the people of Turkey in mind in our discussion on EU-Turkey relations.

Turkey was also briefly discussed at the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council on 16 January and I expect that there will be further discussions at future meetings

It is clear that the situation in Turkey remains very difficult. Ireland, along with our European partners, stand in solidarity with Turkey in the fight against terrorism.

While the Turkish authorities clearly need to combat terrorism vigorously and effectively, they must also maintain a measured and proportionate response which upholds the rule of law. This balanced approach has been conveyed clearly on a number of occasions by me and by the EU since last summer’s attempted coup d’état.

Syrian Conflict

Questions (170)

Brendan Smith

Question:

170. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of discussions regarding Syria at the most recent EU Foreign Affairs Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2289/17]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade

I discussed the situation in Syria and how the EU must strengthen its diplomacy to revive the UN-led negotiations with my EU colleagues. Ireland and its EU partners reaffirmed our support for the central role of the United Nations in working for a political transition and peaceful settlement of the conflict in Syria. We discussed the question of strengthening the EU’s support for a negotiated solution, accountability for war crimes and considered the question of EU support for the post-conflict reconstruction of Syria.

I expressed Ireland’s full support for the efforts of the EU High Representative, Federica Mogherini, to build cooperation between the EU and the regional and international stakeholders on a way forward for Syria.

I stressed that the illegal denials of humanitarian access must end and welcomed the proposed Brussels conference later this year which will be co-hosted by the EU. This conference will take stock of humanitarian commitments since the London conference and will look at ways of supporting the UN-led political process.

UK Referendum on EU Membership

Questions (171)

Niall Collins

Question:

171. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the bilateral meetings he had with his European counterparts outside of Council of the European Union meetings, since the UK referendum to leave the EU took place, in which the issue of Brexit and the unique challenges faced by the island of Ireland was discussed, including the name of each European government ministerial counterpart, the meeting location and the date of each meeting, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2519/17]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade

An extensive programme of engagement with all other EU Governments and the EU institutions, including the Commission’s Brexit Negotiations Task Force, is under way. This engagement is being intensified in 2017 in the run up to the Article 50 negotiations.

This outreach is an important part of our preparations for the Brexit negotiations to ensure that our particular concerns - the economy, Northern Ireland, the Common Travel Area and the future of the EU itself - are heard and understood across Europe.

For my own part, I have spoken at least once with each of my EU Foreign Minister opposite numbers. These discussions either took place over the phone or in person, sometimes in the margins of other meetings I attended such as the EU ASEM Ministerial meeting last July, or the monthly Foreign Affairs Council meetings in Brussels and Luxembourg. The list of my formal engagements since 23 June is presented in the following Table. It is important to note that alongside these formal discussions, I engage on an informal basis very regularly with my EU counterparts including in the margins of EU FAC meetings and other international and multilateral gatherings. I also discuss Brexit matters in the context of Northern Ireland on a regular basis with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, James Brokenshire.

Most recently, I met with the Spanish Foreign Minister on 16 January and I hope to have bilateral discussions with my Luxembourg and Finnish counterpart in the weeks ahead. Engagement with EU Embassies in Dublin is also critically important, and to that end I have scheduled a meeting with the local EU Ambassadors this Friday (20 January).

The Government will continue to meet and engage with their EU counterparts over coming weeks to emphasise Ireland’s priority issues, to ensure that these are fully reflected in the EU position once negotiations commence.

This activity is reinforced by extensive engagement at diplomatic and official level.

Of course, Ireland will be part of the EU 27 team and looks forward to working with our fellow Member States in delivering the best possible result for Ireland and for the EU.

Finally, I would note that there has also been extensive contact with the UK government since the June referendum. Last year, I met with Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, David Davis. In line with the agreement at EU level that there should be no negotiations until Article 50 has been triggered, these discussions focused on bilateral issues.

Formal engagement by Minister Flanagan with EU counterparts since 23 June 2016

DATE	COUNTRY	NAME	Venue
24/06/16	France	Jean-Marc Ayrault	Phonecall
24/06/16	UK	Philip Hammond	Phonecall
27/06/16	Netherlands	Bert Koenders	Phonecall
06/07/16	Slovakia	Miroslav Lacjak	Phonecall
08/07/16	Germany	Frank-Walter Steinmeier	Berlin
08/07/16	Sweden	Margot Wallstrom	Phonecall
12/07/16	Bulgaria	Daniel Mitov	Phonecall
12/07/16	Italy	Paolo Gentiloni	Dublin
12/07/16	Lithuania	Linas Linkevicius	Phonecall
15/07/16	Belgium	Didier Reynders	EU-ASEM
15/07/16	Denmark	Kristian Jensen	EU-ASEM
15/07/16	Greece	Nikolaos Kotzias	EU-ASEM
15/07/16	Hungary	Peter Szijjarto	EU-ASEM
15/07/16	Portugal	Augusto Santos Silva	EU-ASEM
18/07/16	Cyprus	Ionnis Kasoulides	Brussels
18/07/16	Czech Republic	Lubomir Zaoralek	Brussels
18/07/16	Estonia	Marina Kaljurand	Brussels
18/07/16	Luxembourg	Jean Asselborn	Brussels
18/07/16	UK	Boris Johnson	Brussels
19/07/16	Croatia	Miro Kovac	Phonecall
19/07/16	Finland	Timo Soini	Phonecall
20/07/16	Austria	Sebastian Kurz	Phonecall
20/07/16	Latvia	Edgars Rinkevics	Phonecall
25/07/16	Romania	Lazar Comanescu	Phonecall
27/07/16	Poland	Witold Waszczykowski	Phonecall
03/08/16	Malta	George Vella	Phonecall
31/08/16	Netherlands	Bert Koenders	Dublin
02/09/16	Cyprus	Ionnis Kasoulides	Bratislava
02/09/16	Malta	George Vella	Bratislava
02/09/16	Slovenia	Karl Erjavec	Bratislava
08/09/16	UK	David Davis	Dublin
12/10/16	E. Commission	Michel Barnier	Dublin
16/10/16	Luxembourg	Jean Asselborn	Luxembourg
24/11/16	Poland	Witold Waszczykowski	Dublin
28/11/16	Malta	George Vella	Dublin
01/12/16	France	Jean-Marc Ayrault	Paris
12/12/16	Belgium	Didier Reynders	Brussels
16/01/17	Spain	Alfonso Dastis	Brussels

Pension Provisions

Questions (172)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

172. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will introduce an agreed pension scheme for community employment scheme supervisors and assistant supervisors; if so, when such a scheme will be introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2420/17]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

The issue of pension entitlements for Community Employment Scheme Supervisors and Assistant Supervisors was the subject of a Labour Court recommendation in 2008. The position is that although the employing bodies concerned are mainly funded by public expenditure programmes, the State does not have any role as an employer in this sector and the employees of such bodies are not public servants.

This matter together with other related issues is the subject of discussion at the Community Sector High Level Forum (or Working Group) (previously the Informal Forum) which was convened to examine certain issues pertaining to the Community Employment sector.  The forum met on 27 November 2015 and on 11 April 2016.  The forum now has a new Chair and it is intended to reconvene the forum in the first quarter of 2017.

Referendum Expenditure

Questions (173)

Eamon Scanlon

Question:

173. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the final cost involved in the holding of the referendum on the abolition of Seanad Éireann in 2013; the final cost involved in the holding of the referendum on the Court of Appeal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2268/17]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

The referendums on the abolition of Seanad Éireann and the Court of Appeal were taken together and held on 4 October, 2013.

The final cost of the referendums on the abolition of Seanad Éireann and the Court of Appeal was €14.4m.

When two or more election events are held on the same day there are significant savings from the sharing of people and facilities.  The Children Referendum, taken as a single poll, in November 2012 at a cost of €12.8m would be indicative of the cost of a standalone referendum around that time. 

Public Sector Pensions Data

Questions (174, 175, 176, 177, 178)

Dara Calleary

Question:

174. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the current public sector pension contribution levels for employee and employers here and in the UK, Northern Ireland, Germany and France; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2461/17]

Dara Calleary

Question:

175. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the current age of first payment to public service pensioners here and in the UK, Northern Ireland, Germany and France; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2462/17]

Dara Calleary

Question:

176. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the current level of lump sums paid to public service pensioners here and in the UK, Northern Ireland, Germany and France; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2463/17]

Dara Calleary

Question:

177. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the current tax benefits provided for public sector contributions here and in the UK, Northern Ireland, Germany and France; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2464/17]

Dara Calleary

Question:

178. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the minimum years of service required for full public sector pension here and in Northern Ireland, Germany and France; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2465/17]

Written answers

Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform

I propose to take Questions Nos. 174 to 178, inclusive, together.

I understand there is a considerable diversity of pension provision and treatment of pensions under taxation provisions within the public sector in many countries and the detailed information sought by the Deputy in relation to public sector pensions in the UK, Northern Ireland, Germany and France is not available to my Department.

With regard to public service pension provision in Ireland in respect of the points raised in the Deputy's questions, I set out below the relevant pension terms applying to most public servants, defined as being those who qualify for normal paced accrual of benefits in mainstream areas, including the health sector, teaching, the civil service and local government.  The equivalent pension terms may differ somewhat in other sectors wherein "fast accrual" pension provision applies, including the An Garda Síochána, the Permanent Defence Force, the Irish Prison Service, firefighters, the judiciary and TDs.

For pre-1995 recruited public servants the employee or member contributions position varies across sectors. However, most public servants recruited since 1995, including Single Scheme members, are subject to the following occupational pension scheme contribution rates:

- 3% of pay, plus

- 3.5% of net pay (which is defined as pay minus twice the Contributory State Pension).

Irish public service pension schemes operate on an unfunded pay-as-you-go basis, being exempt from the funding standard requirements set down in Part IV of the Pensions Act 1990.  On that account public service schemes, with only minor exceptions, do not feature an explicit employer contribution.  They do however have a significant implicit employer contribution, insofar as the cost of taxpayer-financed benefit outgo, generally based on final salary, significantly exceeds member contributions. This implicit employer contribution is widely recognised as a valuable benefit in public service employment, including in the second report of the Public Service Benchmarking Body published in 2007, which is available at www.benchmarking.gov.ie.

The minimum age at which normal-course pensions are paid in the Irish public service varies by reference to period of recruitment, as follows:

- 60 years for persons recruited up to 31 March 2004.

- 65 years for persons recruited between 1 April 2004 and 31 December 2012.

- 66 years, rising to 67 years in 2021 and 68 years in 2028, for persons recruited from 1 January 2013 onward: these persons are members of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme, which applies to new recruits across the public service since the beginning of 2013. The Single Scheme pension benefits are based on career-average pay, not retirement-time pay (final salary).

Retirement lump sum in almost all public service pension schemes, except the Single Scheme, is set at a maximum of one and a half times final pay.

In general, 40 years' service is required to qualify for maximum public service pension benefits.

Single Scheme members may accrue both pension and retirement lump sum over a longer period than 40 years. For most Single Scheme members, there are no legislated rules capping the level of pension and retirement lump sum that can be accrued; in practice however the Single Scheme's career-average design is a restraint on benefits build-up under those headings.

Responsibility for all aspects of taxation relating to pensions rests with my colleague the Minister for Finance.