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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 26 May 1998

Vol. 491 No. 3

Written Answers. - Pension Provisions.

Ivan Yates

Ceist:

474 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Education and Science when backdated pension increases plus arrears will be paid to retired teachers as promised, and particularly in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Wexford. [11837/98]

I take it the Deputy is referring to the increases which arise under the restructuring pay deals made under the Programme for Competitiveness and Work.

The position is that the final element of the restructuring pay deals, that concerning in-school management, has only recently been agreed. Arrangements are now being made to pay the arrears of pension and retirement gratuity to eligible pensioners. It is anticipated that this work will be completed before September 1998.

Many teachers have already received an increase in their pensions. These are teachers who retired before the commencement date — 1 July 1994 — of the restructuring pay deals. The Government has decided that such teachers should benefit from those pay deals on a parity basis, subject to a minimum increase of 2 per cent in their pensions.

In accordance with this decision, an increase of 2 per cent in pension, together with arrears backdated to 1 May 1996, was issued at the end of January 1998 to retired teachers whose pensions are paid by my Department. At the same time, vocational education committees were informed they should authorise the relevant local authority to make similar payments in the case of former vocational teachers.
The person referred to by the Deputy is a former vocational teacher who retired in 1990 and whose pension is paid by Wexford County Council. As it appears he has not received the 2 per cent increase in pension, I have asked my colleague, the Minister for Environment and Local Government, to communicate directly with the Deputy.
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