Written answers

Tuesday, 7 April 2009

Department of Finance

Pension Provisions

11:00 pm

Photo of Jack WallJack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 39: To ask the Minister for Finance his views in regard to a submission by a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; if there are plans to address the issue as stated; if so, the timescale of such plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14107/09]

Photo of Ciarán LynchCiarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 43: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will provide an exemption from the pension levy for research staff who are employed on fixed term non-permanent contracts dependant on external funding; his views on whether staff who are without job security and an incremental payscale and who do not accumulate sufficient years of service to adequately benefit from a public service pension should not be subject to the pension levy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14135/09]

Photo of Catherine ByrneCatherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 46: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will clarify the position of a large number of university research staff who must pay the pension levy although they are employed on fixed term or non-permanent contracts which are contingent on external funding sources and, as such, are non-renewable; his views on the fact that these people will never accumulate the years of service needed to receive a meaningful benefit from a public service pension, and will therefore not benefit from the pension levy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14160/09]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 55: To ask the Minister for Finance if, with respect to the public sector pension levy, public sector workers, such as researchers, for instance, employed on fixed term or short term contracts are excluded from paying the public sector pension levy; if he will exclude such workers from paying the levy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14232/09]

Photo of Brian Lenihan JnrBrian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 39, 43, 46 and 55 together.

Public servants who are members of public service pension schemes are liable to pay the pension-related deduction legislated for in the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009. On this basis, third-level researchers on fixed-term and temporary contracts must pay the deduction, since they are members of the relevant occupational pension schemes. They are just one of many groups of non-permanent public servants paying the deduction.

Distinctions between public servants on the basis of whether they are permanent or temporary, and if temporary what contract duration applies, are irrelevant insofar as liability to pay the deduction is concerned. The pay of the post, in terms of whether it features incremental progression, is likewise irrelevant.

In recent years fixed-term researchers in third-level institutions have been made pensionable, and this has significantly improved the attractiveness of a research career. These researchers accrue pensionable service even for short-duration appointments and that service can be aggregated with past and future service in other pensionable public service employment.

Section 6 of the Act provides for a refund of the deduction in certain circumstances, and should reassure third-level researchers on short-term non-renewable contracts who have no prior public service employment history and who may be concerned about accruing no pension benefit at the expiry of their contract due to insufficient service. A deduction refund may be payable provided that the departing employee has accrued no benefits under any public service pension scheme, has not received a payment in lieu of scheme membership and has not transferred the service to another public service pension scheme.

Section 8 of the Act grants the Minister for Finance a limited special discretion to exempt groups of public servants from payment of the deduction. Specifically, where he is satisfied that due to exceptional circumstances, a particular class or group of public servants are materially distinguished from other classes or groups who are subject to the deduction, then the Minister may fully or partly exempt this group from paying some or all of the deduction, if he believes it would be fair and equitable to do so.

The deduction is required at a time of great pressure on the public finances and takes account of the valuable pension benefits available to public servants.

In light of all the above factors, I am satisfied that it is fair and appropriate that public servants on fixed-term and temporary contracts, including third-level researchers, are subject to the pension-related deduction. In the event that any class or group of public servants makes an appeal for exemption from the deduction under section 8 of the Act then such an appeal will be considered.

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