James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

There is currently no voluntary redundancy or early retirement schemes available in the public service. However, the grace period during which the calculation of public service pensions is unaffected by the pay reductions applied under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Act, 2009, will expire on 29 February 2012.

In this context, a three-month minimum notice period for retirement was introduced for the public service in July this year. The purpose of this minimum notice period is to allow management to have advance knowledge of the number of staff planning to retire in a particular service or area and to plan accordingly. I have asked the HSE, as a matter of urgency, to carry out an assessment of the likely impact of retirements in the coming months, based on the three months' notice period, queries to superannuation departments and the age profile of staff. I have also requested the executive to identify particular pressure points as a priority and to develop appropriate measures to deal with significant departures in a given service or area. My Department will work with the HSE to ensure, as the position becomes clearer over the coming weeks and in the event that significant numbers of staff intend to retire, plans are developed to protect front-line services as far as possible.

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