Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 1 Dec 1993

Vol. 436 No. 5

Written Answers. - Public Service Pension Rights.

Richard Bruton

Ceist:

109 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Finance if he will allow Aer Lingus workers who were formerly members of the Defence Forces to get credit for their earlier service as is the norm for such workers who transferred after a certain chosen operative date.

Minister for Finance (Mr. B. Ahern)

I propose to take Question Nos. 109 and 111 together.

I assume that both questions relate to the provisions of the public sector transfer scheme, under which employees may transfer service for pension purposes from one member organisation to another.

I should point out that participation in the transfer scheme is voluntary — public sector organisations are not under any statutory obligation to join the scheme. In the case of Aer Lingus, the company decided to become a member of the scheme with effect from 1 June 1973. As a result of that decision, the company is obliged to reckon all prior pensionable service in the case of employees who left other member organisations, including the Civil Service and the Defence Forces, on or after that date and subsequently joined Aer Lingus. As a member of the scheme, Aer Lingus could also, on a purely voluntary basis, agree to reckon prior service in the case of company employees who left other member organisations prior to 1 June 1973. In the event, Aer Lingus decided that it would exercise this voluntary option in respect of certain other member organisations on or after 1 September 1968.

The decisions taken by Aer Lingus are entirely consistent with the provisions of the transfer scheme, and the company is not in breach of any statutory directive in this matter. Although Aer Lingus could — if it so wished — adopt a more flexible approach, and reckon the prior service of employees who left other member organisations prior to 1 September 1968, the scheme does not empower me to compel the company to adopt such an approach.