Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 277: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if a recent statement made by his predecessor on the pensionability of certain allowance and [i]ex gratia[/i] payments payable to public servants applies to members of the Garda Síochána; the specific allowances and [i]ex gratia[/i] payments to which gardaí are pensionable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24393/04]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I understand the focus of the Deputy's question is the announcement made by the former Minister for Finance on 14 September about the Government's decision of 8 September to implement a number of further key recommendations of the Commission on Public Service Pensions and whether this announcement covers pensionable allowances payable to members of the Garda Síochána.

The position is that the Garda Síochána, in common with the public service generally, subject to meeting all the normal qualifying criteria, is covered by the recent announcement. As a consequence of the Government decision, members of the Garda Síochána who retire as and from 1 April 2004 may reckon the best three consecutive years in the ten years preceding retirement in the calculation for superannuation purposes of pensionable allowances. I understand also that the Department of Finance is currently developing detailed guidelines in respect of the recently announced public pensions reforms.

A list of the Garda pensionable allowances is as follows: rent; availability; designated post; instructor; analyst; change management, expert; court presenter's allowance; commissioner's private secretary; welfare officer; air support unit; water unit; radio section; island; PSV inspector; transport; collator; immigration officer; Minister's driver; rostered unsocial hours; Saturday allowance; Gaeltacht; and substitution.