Seanad debates
Thursday, 14 December 2017
Public Service Pay and Pensions Bill 2017: Committee and Remaining Stages
10:30 am
Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source
I move amendment No. 5:
In page 19, between lines 32 and 33, to insert the following:
“Early pension restoration for retired public servants
28.The Minister shall within three months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before the Houses of the Oireachtas a report on restoring all public service pensions by 2019.”.
This amendment relates to early pension restoration for retired public servants. As the Minister of State knows, there is a difference between those who retired after 29 February 2012 and those who retired before that. The differences in their annualised amount of various reductions are significant, with 12% versus 3%. It is quite a big difference and I ask the Minister of State to consider preparing that report.
Orla Cosgrave
Posted on 14 Jan 2018 2:24 pm (Report this comment)
Senator There is a far more worrying issue regarding pensioners and that is the pensions paid were connected to a salary scale. This is no longer the case since 1 April 2017 there is a total disconnect so any pay increases WILL not apply to pensioners.
We as pensioners should not be discriminated against or singled out as easy targets. We worked hard for our pensions and should be treated equally. We have not had a pension rise for over ten years. We like everyone else suffered during the emergency and it is only right that when pay rises occur pensions should also rise. It was always custom and practice that pensioners received pay rises when they were sanctioned. The restoration of pensions is imperative as many pensioners are finding it hard to manage. We are only asking for our pensions to be restored and our pensions reconnected to our relevant pay scales.