Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 13 May 2020
760. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if he will provide for an increase in pensions for retired nursing staff in view of the fact this group has not seen an increase in pension rates in over 10 years. [5095/20]
View answerIn 2010 public sector salaries were reduced in accordance with the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009 (FEMPI). Former civil and public servants who were in receipt of public service pensions were not affected by these reductions. In 2017 the Public Service Stability Agreement was introduced which set about unwinding the affects of FEMPI by restoring pay to civil and public servants through a series of salary increases. Because any individuals who were in receipt of pensions prior to the introduction of FEMPI were not affected by it, they do not stand to benefit from the restoration. In addition to pay restoration, the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform (DPER) issued circulars 20/2017, 2/2018 and 19/2019 setting out the treatment of increases to certain public service pensions. Under the provisions of these circulars, a pension increase is applied only in circumstances where the current rate of pay for a serving employee exceeds the pay rate on which the retired staff member’s pension is based. In practical terms, this meant that only a small number of pensioners were due an increase with effect from 1 September 2017 (the effective date of the first circular) as their pension was based on a higher rate of pay than the serving employee on that date. As each of the subsequent phases of pay restoration has come into effect, an increasing number of pensioners have become entitled to an increase and this has been applied where relevant.
The HSE has advised that it is working to ensure that all HSE pensioners who were due increases under the circulars had the correct increase applied at the correct phase of pay restoration. This represents a considerable undertaking as each individual pension must be considered on a case by case basis.
The HSE is satisfied that most people who were due an increase with effect from 1 September 2017 have received that increase and subsequent increases, and that any issue of non-application of an increase is in respect of retirees who were not due an increase on 1 September 2017 but who have become entitled as a result of one of the subsequent rounds of pay restoration. Any pension increases due will be paid to retired staff from the appropriate effective date.
