Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

Is it not the case that bonuses were non-pensionable and that what the Minister has allowed is that senior public servants would see a cut in a non-pensionable allowance instead of a proposed cut in their pensionable pay, and, therefore, the implications are that their pensions have been protected where every other public service had to see an effect not only on their serving pay, but on their pensions into the distant future? Typically, this is worth €17,000, half of which is a pension of some €8,500 in perpetuity. Is this not another element of unfairness in the way the Minister handled this in respect of pension entitlements?

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