Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 November 2018
197. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to make an allowance for women who took time out from work from the Civil Service on Civil Service-approved schemes to raise children and whose pension is affected as a result; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46984/18]
View answerUnder civil service pension schemes, the pension calculation is, in general, based on pensionable remuneration and total pensionable service of the employee. The focus on service is a fundamental element of defined benefit occupational pension schemes, not just in the civil and public service but in the private sector too, and there are no plans at present to change this.
There are arrangements in place for civil servants who are about to embark on a career break, for the purposes of raising children or otherwise, to apply in advance to have that period of leave reckoned for pension purposes, subject to the normal rules of the civil service purchase of notional service scheme, including that they pay the full cost of the service purchased. Furthermore, civil servants have the option to enter into purchase arrangements, subject to scheme rules, to buy back service during the course of their serving career, which have the effect of covering periods of absences from work for pension purposes.
While these arrangements are established for members of pre-existing civil service schemes (i.e. pre-Single Pension Scheme introduction, 2013), regulations are currently being drafted by this Department setting out rules for purchase under the Single Pension Scheme.
