Written answers

Tuesday, 1 March 2005

Department of Education and Science

Retirement Provisions

9:00 pm

Photo of John PerryJohn Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 334: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if a person who is due to retire as a lecturer in an institute of technology can have their contract extended if the college is willing to renew the contract to allow the person continue with their chosen profession; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6542/05]

Photo of Mary HanafinMary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I take it that the Deputy is referring to a lecturer who has attained, or is about to attain, age 65. Retirement by age 65 is a standard feature of public service pension schemes and usually, as in the case of established civil servants, involves retirement on the public servant's 65th birthday. Special provisions applicable to lecturers in institutes of technology and teachers in the public service generally allow service to continue until the end of the academic year in which age 65 is attained.

The standard retirement age of 65 was recently addressed in the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004. The Act, which is in effect since 1 April 2004, abolishes the compulsory retirement age of 65 in the case of most new entrants to the public service, including lecturers-teachers. The Act defines a new entrant as a person commencing employment in the public service on or after 1 April 2004 or a person resuming employment in the public service, after a break exceeding 26 weeks, on or after 1 April 2004. It would appear that the lecturer referred to by the Deputy is not a new entrant to the public service. I confirm that, in the circumstances, the lecturer will be required to retire at the end of the academic year in which he or she attains age 65.

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