Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 9 Dec 2003

Vol. 576 No. 5

Written Answers. - Pension Provisions.

Brendan Howlin

Ceist:

373 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the anomaly whereby, up to and including the rank of inspector, three levels of pension are payable to retired Garda Síochána, that is, pre-1982 retirees, 1982 to 1993 retirees and post-1993 retirees; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that poor economic circumstances have been cited as the reason for failure to remedy this anomaly; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that the merit of the claim for redress by the Garda Síochána Retired Members Association has been acknowledged by a number of former Ministers while in office, including a former Minister for Finance; his views on the opinion that this claim has merit; his further views on whether the anomaly can be addressed in current economic circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29693/03]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. McDowell):

The background to this issue is that a 1983 arbitration finding recommended that certain Garda allowances should be made pensionable with effect from 1 October 1982. The finding was applied only to personnel who retired on or after that date. The pensionability of the Garda unsocial hours allowance was treated in a similar way when it was introduced. It was applied with effect from 1 January 1994 to personnel who retired or died in service on or after 1 January 1993. The position was consistent with that in other areas of the public service where in the context of making allowances pensionable, the benefits were confined to those retiring after a specified date and did not extend to pensioners who retired before that date.

The Commission on Public Service Pensions, as part of its deliberations, examined the specific issue of the pensionability of allowances for those who had retired prior to the implementation date, in respect of members of the Garda Síochána and others, but, having addressed the arguments involved, did not recommend any increase in pension for the groups involved. The concession sought for the Garda allowances could not be confined to the Garda and there could be considerable additional costs with regard to allowances in other areas of the public sector, notably the Defence Forces, teachers and prison officers.

A concession in these areas could impose a very significant cost on the State in excess of approximately €12 million a year and an accrued liability of about €152 million, based on 1997 costs for Garda and Defence Forces pensioners outlined in the final report of the Commission on Public Service Pensions when considering the issue of extending pensionability.

I have been advised by my colleague, the Minister for Finance, Deputy McCreevy, who has overall responsibility for public service pensions, that he has had the matter carefully examined and that he is prepared to make the changes requested by the Garda Síochána Retired Members Association in respect of the pensionability of the Garda allowances.