Written answers
Thursday, 5 February 2009
Department of Finance
Pension Provisions
5:00 pm
Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 102: To ask the Minister for Finance the number of public servants with pension entitlements, that is, civil servants above assistant principal, civil servants below assistant principal and other public servants; the number of each category pre April 1995 and their contributions to PRSI and category, and pension and superannuation payments for example widows and orphans and so on; the number of each category post 1995; the required PRSI, pension and superannuations payments for each category; the contribution of public servants to PRSI, pension and superannuation; the average contribution per each category referred to; the highest and the lowest contribution for each year from 2002 to 2008; and if he will provide the information in tabular form. [4165/09]
Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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As Minister for Finance I have statutory responsibility for civil service pensions. Statutory responsibility for public service pension schemes outside the civil service rests with relevant Ministers in other Departments as appropriate. My colleague, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs is responsible for the PRSI categories of specific groups of public servants and for the aggregate PRSI receipts generated by the contributions of these groups.
It is estimated that there are 316,855 whole time equivalent (WTE) staff in the public service, including local authorities, virtually all of whom are members of public service pension schemes. This is the 2008 estimate taken from the "Analysis of Exchequer Pay and Pensions Bill 2003-2008", which is available at www.finance.gov.ie in the "Policy Areas and Publications" section.
| Public Service Numbers Employed | Whole Time Equivalents |
| Health | 112,500 |
| Education | 92,480 |
| Civil Service | 38,572 |
| Security | 26,202 |
| Non-Commercial Semi-State Bodies | 12,175 |
| Local Authorities | 34,926 |
With regard to the civil service staffing, my Department's information indicates WTE employment levels of 32,171 for staff below Assistant Principal level and 5,699 for staff at or above Assistant Principal level. These are based on headcount figures from September 2008.
With regard to the number of civil servants recruited since April 1995, approximately 61% of current civil servants have less than 15 years' service, indicating for the great majority of such persons that they entered the civil service since April 1995. However, some may have retained modified PRSI status due to working in the civil or public service prior to April 1995 and have had breaks in their service, for example due to unpaid leave or career breaks.
The contribution rates in the main public service schemes are set out in the table.
| Pre-1995 | Post-1995 | ||
| Civil Service Main Scheme | Established | No explicit contribution | 1.5% of gross pensionable remuneration + 3.5% of co-ordinated remuneration (gross pensionable remuneration less twice the State Pension) |
| Unestablished | No explicit contribution | No explicit contribution | |
| Civil Service Spouses and Children's | Established | 1.5% of basic pay | 1.5% of gross pensionable remuneration |
| Unestablished | 1.5% of co-ordinated remuneration | 1.5% of co-ordinated remuneration | |
| Garda Síochána | 1.75% of gross pensionable remuneration | 1.5% of gross pensionable remuneration + 3.5% of co-ordinated remuneration | |
| Garda Síochána Spouses and Children's | 1.5% of gross pensionable remuneration | 1.5% of gross pensionable remuneration | |
| Defence Forces | Enlisted Personnel | No explicit contribution | No explicit contribution |
| Commissioned Officers | No explicit contribution | 1.5% of gross pensionable remuneration + 3.5% of co-ordinated remuneration | |
| Defences Forces Spouses and Children's | Enlisted Personnel | 1.5% of four times the amount of Spouses pension (somewhat less than 1.5% of gross pensionable remuneration) | 1.5% of four times the amount of Spouses pension (somewhat less than 1.5% of gross pensionable remuneration) |
| Commissioned Officers | 1.5% of gross pensionable remuneration | 1.5% of gross pensionable remuneration | |
| Local Authorities | Full PRSI | 1.5% of gross pensionable remuneration + 3.5% of co-ordinated remuneration | 1.5% of gross pensionable remuneration + 3.5% of co-ordinated remuneration |
| Modified | 5% of gross pensionable remuneration | 5% of gross pensionable remuneration | |
| Local Authority Spouses and Children's | Full PRSI | 1.5% of co-ordinated remuneration | 1.5% of co-ordinated remuneration and 1.5% of gross remuneration in certain cases. |
| Modified | 1.5% of gross pensionable remuneration | 1.5% of gross pensionable remuneration |
Department of Finance Circular 33/2007, "Be Pensions Aware", which is available at www.finance.gov.ie in the "Civil/Public Service Information" section, contains tables which set out the details of the position vis-À-vis the pension contributions of different categories of civil servants. The average contribution and the highest and lowest contributions sought are not compiled.
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