Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 265: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the pension entitlements of a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [37091/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The person is question gave four years and 21 days of pensionable service as a primary teacher between September 1981 and 13 March 1987. The teacher also gave some intermittent service as a substitute teacher between 1986 and 1990 but substitute service was at that time not reckonable for pension purposes.

As matters stand, the person in question does not retain any entitlement to pension and lump sum under the national school teachers' superannuation scheme as, at the time her pensionable service ended in 1987, she had not completed the minimum service of five years which was then the required threshold for preservation of superannuation benefits. The threshold has been reduced to two years in the case of teachers, and public servants generally, who have given pensionable service on or after 2 June 2002.

It is open to the person referred to by the Deputy to return to teaching at any time in the future. Under the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004, she would, on such return, be treated as a new entrant to the public service. The upper age limit for retirement on pension, 65 in the case of teachers, has been abolished in the case of new entrants. Similarly, a new entrant may not retire voluntarily on full pension before age 65. It is, however, open to new entrants to retire on pension between age 55 and 65, with actuarially-reduced benefits, under the cost-neutral early retirement scheme.

Any teaching service given following return would be aggregated with the teacher's earlier service. In this connection, and in line with the Protection of Employees (Part-time) Act 2001, service as a substitute teacher is now pensionable on an ongoing basis.