Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 May 2021
35. Deputy Cathal Berry asked the Minister for Defence when the abatement waiver deal recently awarded to retired teachers who return to work in the public service will be extended to retired soldiers who return to work in the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24604/21]
View answerPublic sector pension policy is a matter for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. Section 52(4) of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 provides for the granting of a waiver of abatement where the particular skills, training or experience required for a specific position are such that those skills, training or experience cannot be met other than by the engagement of a retired public servant.
Such waivers are granted at the discretion of the Minister of Public Expenditure & Reform in exceptional circumstances for a very limited and short period of time and each waiver application is assessed on its individual merits.
The exceptional nature of the Covid-19 crisis has required some sectors, including the education and health sectors in particular, to source staff at short notice to address the manpower challenges on the frontline of the COVID 19 crisis and I understand that temporary waivers of pension abatement have been sought and granted by the Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform under the legislation in order to specifically facilitate those sectors response to the COVID-19 crisis.
Consideration was given to the question of applying a pension abatement waiver to returning members of the Permanent Defence Force but the re-enlistment and recommissioning schemes were not considered to be eligible given the length of service contracts on offer and the possibility of those contracts being further extended.
