asked the Minister for Education if her attention has been drawn to the fact that a person (details supplied) in County Meath who has had 12 years' teaching service in Northern Ireland and is now teaching in the Republic is unable to gain recognition for superannuation purposes for his service in Northern Ireland, as he would obtain such recognition if he had gone from Northern Ireland to teach in other EC member states; and if she will make arrangements to make the necessary regulations to rectify this matter.
Written Answers. - Recognition of NI Teaching Service.
241.
The award of pensions and other superannuation benefits in respect of national teachers is governed by statutory superannuation schemes made under the Teachers' Superannuation Act, 1928. Various amending schemes have been made over the years and a number of approved changes are currently being implemented administratively pending their incorporation into further amending scheme for approval by the Oireachtas. These superannuation provisions are of general application and departure from their terms in individual cases is not permissible. Teaching service in Northern Ireland is not pensionable service for the purposes of the national school teachers' superannuation schemes and there are no proposals for changing this position.
There are no reciprocal arrangements at present for transferring service between this country and the UK for superannuation purposes. Any such arrangements proposed would have to be considered in the context of the public service generally.
The national school teachers' superannuation schemes are contributory schemes and teachers pay contributions of 5 per cent of their annual remuneration in respect of membership of the basic scheme and an additional 1.5 per cent in respect of membership of the spouses' and children's pension scheme. Arrangements exist under which teachers may, in certain circumstances, purchase added years of notional service which can be aggregated with their pensionable service for the purpose of calculating superannuation benefits and additional information on these arrangements is available from my Department.