An officer who retires or is removed from the civil service due to the abolition of his/her office or to Departmental reorganisation may, at the discretion of the Minister for Finance, be awarded a special severance gratuity in addition to pension and retirement lump sum, within statutory limits. A gratuity is also payable in certain circumstances to Secretaries-General of Government Departments and Offices who, pursuant to their conditions of appointment, are obliged to retire before maximum retiring age on the expiration of their fixed-term appointments. Under the latter provision, one officer was awarded a standard severance gratuity amounting in this case to €114,959.00 under Section 7 of the Superannuation and Pensions Act 1963, during the past three years. This is the only instance in which a gratuity was paid.
With regard to agencies under the aegis of the Department, the Chief Executive of the Pensions Board was awarded added years on retirement as provided for in their contract. The additional amounts paid as a result were €17,990.94 in respect of the lump sum, and €3,042.22 in respect of the annual pension.