Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 January 2011
35 Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, further to Parliamentary Question No. 144 of 14 December 2010, the position regarding a retirement claim in respect of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4170/11]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Incentivised Scheme of Early Retirement (ISER) was announced by the Minister for Finance in his Supplementary Budget Statement of 7 April 2009. This replaced all existing early retirement schemes, and no others were available after the closing date of the ISER, until the introduction of the Voluntary Early Retirement and Voluntary Redundancy schemes which were announced on 1 November 2010.
The Government decided in November 2010 that in view of the need to achieve a permanent reduction in the number employed in the public health sector from 2011 onwards, and to facilitate public health reform, that targeted voluntary early retirement and voluntary redundancy schemes should be introduced for certain grades in the health sector. As this scheme post dated the retirement date of the person in question, its terms were not, unfortunately, available to him.
The ISER was a voluntary scheme and the individual concerned made a decision to avail of the scheme, based on the terms of that scheme, which included the immediate payment of pension without actuarial reduction, and the payment of 10% lump sum at time of retirement, with the balance of 90% payable when the retiree reaches normal preserved pension age. Each applicant signed an undertaking to abide by the terms of the ISER and, therefore, I regret it is not possible to alter the terms which have already been accepted.
