asked the Minister for Transport and Power if the proposals for a pension scheme for State employees, in lieu of existing gratuities, on the lines of the scheme in operation for building workers in the Office of Public Works since 1st April, 1967, offered to the trade unions on 25th October, 1969, which appear to be based on a formula which yields a pension unit of 3d per £ of wages per year of service, after twice the social welfare pension has been deducted from the employee's retiring wage, are similar to the pension proposals forwarded by his Department to Bord na Móna for the consideration of the Board's employees.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - State Employees' Pension Scheme.
63.
I have already sent to the Deputy full details of the improvements in the Bord na Móna regular works employees superannuation scheme, 1963, which the Minister for Finance and I would be prepared to approve.
These improvements would result in a pension of one-eightieth of pensionable wage for each year of service subject to a maximum of forty-eightieths. Pensionable wage would be the retiring wage less twice the Social Welfare contributory old age pension payable to a single man on the date of the member's retirement.
As I have previously indicated, proposals for amendment of the pension scheme which incorporate the foregoing improvements have been communicated by Bord na Móna to the group of unions.
Had the Minister sent me the promised letter the question would not have been repeated. In fact I got the letter this morning. Would the Minister not agree this is a most unusual procedure? A proposal to change a scheme, which should have come from Bord na Móna and the trade unions, emanated from a Government Department. Would the Minister not admit this is putting the cart before the horse? Instead of the trade unions and Bord na Móna discussing a scheme and sending proposals to the Department, the Department sent down a proposal they were prepared to sanction. Is that the right way in which to deal with a matter of this kind?
The important thing is that we are ironing it out now.
The important thing is that something has been sent down which was intended for State employees and which will not be acceptable to anybody.
I shall not comment on that, but we have it thoroughly ironed out and—let the hare sit.
Not for long. The greyhounds are straining at the leash.