Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 July 2012
811 Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health if he will request the Health Service Executive to instigate a protocol whereby when retired employees return to the health service as agency staff they are asked on a voluntary basis to take an abatement of their public service pension entitlement in a manner equivalent to the amount that would be applied if they were re-hired directly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35159/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe current public service abatement arrangements only cover instances where retired public servants are re-employed directly in the public service and where the provisions of the relevant pension scheme(s) provide for abatement. Agency workers are not employees of the HSE. They are recruited and employed by employment agencies and are assigned to duties in the health service as required. The hirer does not determine which individual agency staff are assigned in any particular instance. On this basis, I have no plans to pursue the proposal suggested by the Deputy, which I consider to be impractical.
