I propose to take Questions Nos. 209 to 211, inclusive, together.
During the period in question, my department received proposals from Institutes of Technology for a total of 38 voluntary early retirements in respect of permanent whole time lecturers. The breakdown by college was: 2 from Sligo IT, 5 from IT Tralee, 17 from Waterford IT, 6 from Athlone IT and 8 from Dundalk IT.
Up to 31 December, 2008 a total of 16 of the proposed retirements with added years were sanctioned. The proposals approved were from the following Institutes Of Technology: 1 from Sligo IT, 1 from IT Tralee, 8 from Waterford IT and 6 from Athlone IT.
The Minister for Finance, in his supplementary budget speech of 4th April 2009, announced that a new Incentivised Scheme for Early Retirement (ISER) was to be introduced and that it would be the only voluntary early retirement scheme that the Government intended to make available in the civil and public services.