Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

Civil servants' superannuation and their contributions to the cost of their pensions are accounted for on a cash basis so, in a sense, superannuation payments by current civil servants contribute to the pensions of retired staff. Can we be given information on the extent to which current payments meet the cost of current pensioners?

Will the Tánaiste consider establishing an office of a national actuary, perhaps within the National Treasury Management Agency? Similar offices have been established in many other countries to regularly publish this important information so that people are informed on pensions. Many people do not realise that civil servants pay towards the cost of their pensions. They think superannuation is notional. The NTMA also manages the National Pensions Reserve Fund and, if it employed a national actuary, information on different parts of the public service could be independently published on an annual basis. It is not possible at present, for example, to get separate figures for the health services or the Garda.

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