Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

On the issue of pensions, I believe that the post-2013 pension is already beginning to cause problems within the forces, the fire service, An Garda, etc. I do not know how much interaction the ombudsman's office has had in the area of pensions, but we had a pension change in the public service in 1996, if I am not mistaken, again in 2004 and then in 2013. On the 2004 change, anecdotally I am being told that problems are now beginning to arise. There are problems with the post-1996 change with respect to supplementary pension. The 2004 change is again a supplementary pension issue but the 2013 change to the pension has become a disincentive.

Has the FSPO any role in looking at the impact of the post-2013 pension on accelerated pensions, where people in the services must serve 20 or 30 years to acquire a full pension, whereas the average public servant must serve 40 years? Anecdotally, we are being told by the representative bodies, including RACO, PDFORRA, the Garda Representative Association and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, about the impact this is having. Of course, we saw the debacle at senior levels in An Garda where people simply could not take the next promotional step because of the impact it would have on their pension, amounting to tens of thousands of euro. Has that come to the attention of the ombudsman yet or is it something that is about to come down the road?