Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 February 2017
356. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if public service retirees will be considered by the Public Service Pay Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8203/17]
View answerUnder the remit set out in its terms of reference, the Public Service Pay Commission is tasked with reporting to Government on the pay of public servants, in the context of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) Acts. The Commission's remit does not extend to considering the position of retired public servants.
The Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR) applies as a progressively structured imposition on public service pensions in payment to retired public servants under terms set out in the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) Act 2010, as amended. PSPR is being significantly reversed in three stages under FEMPI 2015, with PSPR-affected pensioners getting pension increases via substantial restoration of the PSPR cuts on 1 January 2016, 1 January 2017 and 1 January 2018. When fully rolled-out from 1 January 2018, the changes will mean that all public service pensions with pre-PSPR values of up to €34,132 will be fully exempt from PSPR, while those pensioners not fully removed from the reach of PSPR will, in the majority of cases, benefit by €1,680 per year. The cost of these changes is estimated at about €90 million on a full-year basis from 2018.
Both I, and officials of my Department have engaged with representatives of the Alliance of Retired Public Servants and will continue to do so, to ensure retired public servants and their representatives have a suitable and appropriate opportunity to articulate their issues and concerns in relation to public service pensions in payment.
