Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 20 Nov 1990

Vol. 402 No. 8

Written Answers - Nurses Retirement Scheme.

Michael Bell

Ceist:

106 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Health if he has any plans to introduce early retirement for nurses on the same basis as the scheme which operates in the public service generally; his views on whether the present system which requires female nurses to work until 65 years before securing pension whilst male nurses can retire at 50 years with the same benefit, discriminates against women in the nursing service and that many other public service employees can also retire under similar conditions; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Health (Dr. O'Hanlon)

I do not accept the Deputy's statement that the retirement arrangements for nurses entail discrimination on the basis of sex. The position is that general nurses — male and female — are obliged to retire at age 65, but may retire on a voluntary basis at age 60 or over with immediate entitlement to pension and lump sum benefits, based on actual service. These retirement conditions apply not only to general nurses but also to the vast majority of public servants. The position in relation to psychiatric nurses, in common with a limited number of other public service groups, is that both male and female nurses have a minimum retirement age of 55.

There are no plans to extend these limited arrangements to public servants generally.