Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 910: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of occasions on which her Department has sanctioned or applied for the payment of a pension top-up or discretionary payment on retirement to a staff member of the department or any agency under their remit in each of the past three years; the amount paid in each case; the position vacated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34346/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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An officer who retires or is removed from the civil service due to the abolition of his/her office or to Departmental reorganisation may, at the discretion of the Minister for Finance, be awarded a special severance gratuity in addition to pension and retirement lump sum, within statutory limits. A gratuity is also payable in certain circumstances to Secretaries-General of Government Departments and Offices who, pursuant to their conditions of appointment, are obliged to retire before maximum retiring age on the expiration of their fixed-term appointments. Under the latter provision, one officer was awarded a standard severance gratuity amounting in this case to €114,959.00 under Section 7 of the Superannuation and Pensions Act 1963, during the past three years. This is the only instance in which a gratuity was paid.

With regard to agencies under the aegis of the Department, the Chief Executive of the Pensions Board was awarded added years on retirement as provided for in their contract. The additional amounts paid as a result were €17,990.94 in respect of the lump sum, and €3,042.22 in respect of the annual pension.

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 911: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the number of staff who have been dismissed for misconduct, poor performance or failing to fulfil the terms of their contract from her Department in each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34361/09]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Thirteen staff have been dismissed from my Department in the period 1st January 2004 to 31 December 2008.

Seven of the above officers were on probationary contracts.