Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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266. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of public and civil service workers whose pension entitlements are subject to convergence criteria, that is, whose workplace pensions are reduced when they reach the State retirement age. [24432/18]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The authorities responsible for the administration of the large number of pension schemes operating in the various sectors of the Irish public service are, in general, the relevant employers and Ministers in those sectors.

It would be a matter for those sectoral authorities, including relevant Ministers, to supply such information as may be available in respect of the pension entitlements of members of those individual pension schemes.

I and my Department are responsible for the civil service pension schemes, which cover personnel in established and unestablished civil service and State Industrial posts.

In this response I am interpreting the reference to convergence to mean those pensions which are integrated with the State Pension (Contributory).

As at 31 December 2017, approximately 15,000 civil service workers have pension entitlements which are subject to integration and whose overall pension takes account of the State Pension (Contributory).

These members would be eligible to receive the State Pension (Contributory), based on a member's PRSI record.

Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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267. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount by which public and civil service workers' pensions subject to convergence have been reduced in each of the years since 2010. [24433/18]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The authorities responsible for the administration of the large number of pension schemes operating in the various sectors of the Irish public service are, in general, the relevant employers and Ministers in those sectors.

It would be a matter for those sectoral authorities, including relevant Ministers, to supply such information as may be available in respect of the pension entitlements of members of those individual pension schemes.

I and my Department are responsible for the civil service pension schemes, which cover personnel in established and unestablished civil service and State Industrial posts.

In this response I am interpreting the reference to convergence to mean those pensions which are integrated with the State Pension (Contributory) and the reference to reduction to relate to the effects of integration.

As regards the detailed information sought, it should be noted that, once a pension is calculated and comes into payment, a breakdown of the various components upon which that pension is based is not retained centrally nor readily available. It would take an inordinate amount of official time and effort to obtain the information sought as it would necessitate examination of the files of all retirees in the period concerned.