Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 May 2012
192 Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the names, grade and cost of staff who have been rehired following retirement in his Department and State agencies under his remit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22894/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn the timeframe allowed, it is not possible to provide the information required by the Deputy. No civil servants who have retired from my Department are back on the payroll in my Department. I will write to the Deputy with the relevant information as soon as possible
193 Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the numbers of public sector employees, by Department grouping, that elected to participate in the early retirement scheme in February 2012; if he will confirm the quantum of cash lump sum payments made to retirees and confirm if any retirees have subsequently been re-hired to their former or new roles in the public sector. [22907/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhen public service pay rates were cut in 2010, a transitional "retirement grace period" was introduced, so that any persons retiring within the grace period had their pension payments calculated on the basis of the pay rates prevailing prior to the pay cuts. The transitional grace period expired on 29 February 2012. This was not an "early retirement" scheme.
As the Deputy will be aware, at the end of February, reports from across the Public Service indicated that retirements in the first two months of this year were of the order of 7,500 — these were preliminary figures only.
The normal end-quarter staffing numbers reports for the period January-March 2012 have now been received from Departments and these provide firmer data. These quarterly returns, which will, in due course, be published on my Department's website, show the changes in public service numbers reported from across each of the public service sectors. The end-March returns show that a total of 7,897 people retired during the first quarter of 2012; practically all of these would have retired in the first two months. The breakdown of the retirements during the quarter is:
|
Sector |
Number retired |
|
Education |
2,245 |
|
Health |
2,196 |
|
Civil Service |
1,424 |
|
Local Authority |
998 |
|
Defence |
386 |
|
Gardaí |
282 |
|
Non Commercial State Agencies (NCSAs) |
366 |
|
Total |
7,897 |
Information provided to date indicates that around 126m euro was paid in respect of lump sums during the first quarter of the year. When all returns have been made my Department will forward the details to the Deputy.
Information regarding the rehiring of retirees is not held centrally and should be sought from the relevant Departments. With regard to my own Department I refer the Deputy to the reply that I gave to Question No. 310 on Tuesday 24 April 2012.
