Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 1 Dec 1998

Vol. 497 No. 5

Written Answers - Pension Provisions.

Paul McGrath

Ceist:

200 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will clarify the terms of Programme 2000 to rectify the discrimination against public service pensioners whereby a retired nurse on a pension of £150 per week received an increase of £1.50 per week, this increase being linked to the pay rise of their working colleagues; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that, if the full value of the increase, that is 2.5 per cent over the first £200 per week of income, was applied such a pensioner would have received an increase of £3.75 per week; and if he will pay, retrospectively, the appropriate sum to those public service pensioners affected in view of the fact this anomaly was removed in April 1998. [25661/98]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

Pensions parity has been applied to nurses in the same way as it has been applied to other public servants. The aim of pension parity is, broadly speaking, to provide that pensions are increased by reference to increases in the rate of salary payable to the person currently holding the post which the pensioner held at retirement. Parity is very valuable and it does not apply generally in the private sector. I understand from my colleague, the Minister for Finance, that what the Deputy is proposing would go beyond parity and would represent an unwarranted improvement in the already very generous public service pensions increase system.