Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 120: To ask the Minister for Finance the number of Secretary Generals who continue to benefit from added years as applied by the top-level appointments committee and the details of the number of added years for each relevant Secretary General. [17375/11]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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Secretaries General may, subject to Government decision, benefit from added years at the conclusion of their period of service, under the provisions of sections 6 and 7 of the Superannuation and Pensions Act 1963. The number of added years cannot exceed the lesser of 10 years, or the number of extra years he or she would have served if he or she had been allowed to serve to age 65, subject to an overall maximum of 40 years' service. The relevant data requested by the Deputy on retired Secretaries General who are currently on pension is being collated and will be furnished to the Deputy as soon as possible.

I should add that as part of the drive to reduce the costs of Public Service pensions, the Government will shortly publish legislation for the introduction of a new single pension scheme for all new entrants to the Public Service. This reform is part of the programme of measures agreed with the EU/IMF and must be legislated for by the end of September, 2011. This new scheme will not provide for added years in the future.