Vol. 499 No. 1
921 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan has not received credit for pension purposes for 19 years of service in Northern Ireland having paid into the Northern Ireland teachers' superannuation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1247/99]
The position is that teaching service given outside the State cannot be reckoned for purposes of a pension under the teachers' superannuation schemes. This country has reciprocal agreements on social security with some other countries, including the United Kingdom, but these agreements do not extend to the area of occupational pensions. Any proposals for transferring occupational pension rights of teachers between countries would have to be considered in a public service-wide context and this is a matter for the Minister for Finance. I am informed that there are no proposals for such transfers at present.
The teacher's previous membership of the Northern Ireland teachers' superannuation scheme should, of course, entitle the teacher to payment of a pension under the Northern Ireland scheme on reaching the qualifying age defined in the scheme.
