Written answers

Tuesday, 24 March 2009

Department of Education and Science

Teachers' Remuneration

9:00 pm

Photo of Finian McGrathFinian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 1071: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will support a matter (details supplied). [11693/09]

Photo of Batt O'KeeffeBatt O'Keeffe (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy raises an issue concerning death-in-service benefits for a teacher who is a single parent. On production of probate or letters of administration, a death gratuity is payable to the teacher's personal representative (ie the executor named in the will or the administrator where a person dies without a will). It is the greater of one year's pensionable remuneration (at the rate applicable at the teacher's death) or the amount of lump sum that would have been payable had the teacher retired on medical grounds at the date of death, subject to a maximum of 11⁄2 times the teacher's pensionable remuneration at the date of death. There is no minimum service requirement but a grant of probate is required in all cases before a benefit can be paid.

If the teacher is a member of the Spouses' and Children's Contributory Pension Scheme, an amount equal to a month's pay is payable to the spouse for the first month after death. Thereafter spouses' and children's pensions will be payable based on the deceased teacher's potential service to compulsory retirement age (or 65 in the case of new entrants), subject to a maximum of 40 years. There is an appropriate deduction made from the Death Gratuity in respect of this additional notional service.

In the case of members of the revised spouses' and children's arrangements under the Vocational Teachers Pension Scheme, dependent children under the age of 16 or age 22 if in full time education are eligible for a child's pension. Where such a child is permanently incapacitated by reason of mental or physical infirmity from maintaining him or herself there is no age limit provided the infirmity existed from birth or arose while the child was eligible for benefit. A child's pension is 1/3 of what a spouse's pension would be for each of the first three eligible children. If there are more than three eligible children than an amount equal to the spouse's pension is divided among them.

Where both spouses are deceased and there is only one eligible child the amount of pension is 2/3 of what the deceased spouse's pension would be. Where there are two or more eligible children then an amount equal to the deceased spouse's pension is divided equally between them.

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