Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 January 2016
423. Deputy Ciara M. Conway asked the Minister for Education and Skills why it took over five months to attain relevant requested information from the service history details and pension entitlement information section in her Department in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2154/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Pension Unit of my Department is responsible for policy, regulatory, advice and operational functions relating to the pensions of staff within the education sector.
Within this work, priority is given to processing retirement benefits (lump sum payments and fortnightly pensions) for teachers and non-teaching staff who are scheduled to retire and to spouses/children of deceased members. When the person to whom the Deputy refers first sought a pension statement, end of August 2015, it coincided with the busiest period in the pension calendar - between the end of the school year and the calendar year.
In addition each year the Pension Unit provides pension statements to more than 2,000 members and again priority is afforded to those who indicate that they intend to retire in the coming school year.
As the person in question indicated she was considering retirement, she was afforded priority within this caseload and as a result the process of preparing her statement commenced once all of the retirement cases had been completed and issued to her as soon as possible after that. The Pension Unit regrets this delay and any inconvenience caused to the person concerned.
