Vol. 480 No. 6
198 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Finance the commitments, if any, he has given to public service pensioners that their pensions would increase in line with public service pay; the steps, if any, which have been taken to ensure such pension increases; when the pensioners will receive these increases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15220/97]
227 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Finance if he will assure retired public sector employees that their pensions will continue to be assessed at 50 per cent of the salary of equivalent working grades and that suggestions of doubts about the benefits of productivity schemes being extended to retired staff are not well founded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14978/97]
I propose to answer Questions Nos. 198 and 227 together.
The Government's joint programme "An Action Programme for the Millennium" states that public service pensions will be protected. Against this background of protecting public sector pensions, I am considering options for uprating pensions in the particular circumstances of restructuring deals under the PCW provisions and I expect to make a decision on the matter shortly.
