Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 39: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will examine the case of a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and the reason her Department has refused to allow the Mercy Hospital to make a higher payment to this person. [5354/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Under the terms of the voluntary hospitals superannuation scheme, ex gratia retirement benefits are payable to non-pensionable staff in voluntary hospitals. All part-time non-pensionable employees, who did not contribute to a pension scheme, with at least five years service qualify for this gratuity, calculated at one week's pay for each year of service up to 15 years and two week's pay for each subsequent year subject to a maximum of 78 week's pay. The individual concerned worked for 14.3397 years in a part-time capacity.

The amount of £2,431.62 relates to an estimate requested by the employer in December 1999. A formal application for ex gratia retirement benefits was received from the employer on 7 November 2003 and a final gratuity was calculated and authorised on the same date, in the amount of €3,196.54, £2,517.48. My Department now understands from the Mercy Hospital that the individual concerned refused to accept the award. I am advised that the amount authorised by my Department is the maximum gratuity applicable under the terms of the scheme.