Robert Troy
Ceist:175. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when it is envisaged that public sector pensioners that retired from the public sector will receive pension increases. [26625/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 19 June 2018
Ceisteanna (175)
Freagraí scríofa
My Department issued circulars in December 2017 and January 2018 authorising the application to qualifying public service pensions of certain public service pay increases, and giving guidance on the implementation of those pension increases.
DPER Circular 20/2017, which issued in December 2017, authorised public service pension increases with effect from 1 September 2017, by reference to certain public service pay increases in 2016 and 2017. These pension increases are mostly confined to the pensions of persons who retired on basic salaries of up to €65,000 in the period between 1 March 2012 and either 1 April 2017 or 1 September 2017.
DPER Circular 02/2018, which issued in January 2018, authorised public service pension increases by reference to specified public service pay increases over the 2018 to 2020 period provided for in the Public Service Pay and Pensions Act 2017. The first and only such pay increase to date is the 1% salary increase of 1 January 2018. The pension increases arising by reference to that salary increase are also due with effect from 1 January 2018, and are mostly confined to the pensions of persons who retired in the period from 1 March 2012 to 31 December 2017.
Separate from the pension increases based on salary increases which are covered in the aforementioned circulars, public service pensions which at end-2017 stood reduced by the FEMPI-legislated “Public Service Pension Reduction” (PSPR), were entitled to an effective increase by way of lower PSPR with effect from 1 January 2018.
It is a matter for the large number of public service pension payroll managers in the diverse sectors of the public service to apply these pension increases. I understand that many pensioner groups have already been paid all such increases while in cases where this is not so, work is underway to ensure that the relevant increases are implemented as soon as possible, with calculation and payment of any arrears also being prioritised.