Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 439: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason vocational teachers who paid into a compulsory widow and orphans scheme which existed from 1935 to 1969, are required on retirement to pay 1% per each year worked into their pension on the basis that they had not contributed prior to 1969; the action she will take to address this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4970/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Prior to 1969 there was no widows' and orphans' pension scheme. A contributory main superannuation scheme existed prior to 1969 for vocational teachers which provided on retirement for payment of a pension and retirement gratuity, or a death gratuity where death in service occurred. In 1969 a contributory widows' and orphans' scheme was introduced for male vocational teachers to provide benefits for the teacher's widow and eligible children on his death. This scheme was extended in 1984 to provide benefits for the spouses of female vocational teachers. The scheme then became known as the Spouses' and Children's Pension Scheme.

Benefits under the spouses' and children's scheme are determined on all of the member's reckonable service subject to a maximum of 40 years reckonable service. The arrangements agreed on the introduction of the scheme provide that payment for reckonable service given before 1 January 1969 in the case of male teachers or before 10 January 1984 in the case of female teachers would be deferred until retirement. These contributions are paid by deduction from the retirement gratuity. Contributions payable by this method are calculated at the rate of 1% of the annual rate of retiring pay for each year of reckonable service for which contributions are outstanding.