It is in Edmonton in Canada. The names of the members attending have already been submitted to the clerk. Deputies Scanlon and Bannon and Senator Glynn have already put forward their names. Sanction for travel applications for later in the year is being withheld at this stage.
The first item of correspondence is document 2009/456, a Europe-world newsletter. It is noted.
The next item is a letter on the distribution and storage of sludge from the Ringsend wastewater treatment plant by way of follow-up to our queries raised at our January meeting with Dublin City Council. We had received correspondence from people on the Carlow-Wicklow border who were concerned about where the sludge was being stored, etc. The reply states the city council is satisfied that the system in operation is fully compliant. It also states it is planned to tender for a new contract later this year. This is to be in place by next April when the current contracts for the transport and reuse of the bio-solids will expire. This will present an opportunity for the council to re-examine the whole issue. It is important to note that.
The next item is a newsletter on environmental issues, which we will note. The next is an invitation to a seminar on a book entitled The Spirit Level from 5 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. on 4 June at the Royal College of Surgeons. We will note the invitation and it is a matter for individual members if they wish to attend. Item 2009/460 is a European newsletter, which we will note. Item 2009/461 is a ministerial press release from the Department in connection with holding the by-elections, which we will note. Item 2009/462 is a letter of thanks from the representative of Just Forests who attended last week’s meeting. Those of us who were here found it interesting, so we will note that.
The following circulars from the Department to city and county managers have been copied to the committee: WSP 4/09 on water conservation guidance; all eight of the housing division circulars that have been issued in 2009 so far; LG(P) 06/09, amendment of the Local Government Act, 2001 (Section 161) Order 2004; press office notice of nine circulars issued by the Department in April 2009; and LG 08/09, guidelines on the role and operation of county and city development board social inclusion measures working groups.
The next circular is EL 5/09, the incentivised scheme for early retirement in local authorities, which is in line with the circular from the Departments on the same issue. Section 12 attracted my attention. It states:
It is a general condition of this Scheme that persons availing of the Scheme will not be eligible for re-employment in the same part of the public service. In order to ensure compliance with the provisions of the form of acceptance, local authorities must inquire of relevant future job applicants if they have availed of the terms of this Scheme. If the person was formerly employed in a local authority and availed of the early retirement scheme, they are ineligible for subsequent re-employment in a local authority. However, if the person retired from another area of the public service under a similar early retirement scheme and is subsequently re-employed in a local authority, the local authority must inform their former employer to this effect.
This is so they can calculate pension arrangements between them. I am concerned about this issue and would like clarification from the Department of Finance. The scheme seems to have built into it that a person can avail of the scheme, leave on his or her full pension and then take up part-time or full-time employment in another arm of the public service. I am shocked to read this. I hope I am not interpreting it properly. It states that former employees are not eligible for re-employment in the same part of the public service, and clear arrangements are made so that if a person taking up a post in a local authority has availed of this incentivised scheme for early retirement, the local authority must notify the other party so they can make the relevant pension calculations. If jobs are available somewhere in the public service and if people are going out on full pension and simply returning to another section of the public service, it defeats the purpose of the scheme. They could go from the local authority to the HSE or similar. I am shocked at this. Perhaps I have it wrong but I am reading what I am reading. That is all I can say.
