Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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317. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she is responsible for approving index linked or any other increases to pensions paid by the RTÉ superannuation scheme, and if so, to outline what approvals have been made each year since 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41611/23]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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Requests for pension increases to be paid by the RTÉ Pension Scheme, which is not index-linked, are made by the Trustees of the Scheme to my Department. The requests are subject to review by NewERA in the first instance, and are then submitted for my own consideration and recommendation. My recommendation then needs to be reviewed and approved by the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform.

One pension increase request has been approved since September 2020 (the formation of my Department) – approval was given for a 2% increase in May 2022 by DPER and implemented by the RTÉ Pension Scheme Trustees in August 2022 (and backdated to January 2021). I also understand that this is the only increase since 2017.

The Trustees of the RTÉ Pension Scheme made an application, in September 2022, for a 2.5% increase to pensions in payment, backdated to 1^stJanuary 2022. This request has been evaluated by NewEra and I am currently considering it. My recommendation will be subject to the review and approval of the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform.

The Trustees of the RTÉ Pension scheme also made an application, in September 2023, for a 4.0% increase to pensions in payment, backdated to 1^stJanuary 2023. This request has been sent to NewEra for their evaluation and I am awaiting their response.