Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 557: To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding a redundancy package in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18329/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The Incentivised Scheme of Early Retirement (ISER) was announced by the Minister for Finance in his Supplementary Budget Statement of 7 April 2009. This replaced all existing early retirement schemes, and no others were available after the closing date of the ISER, until the introduction of the Voluntary Early Retirement and Voluntary Redundancy schemes which were announced on 1 November 2010.

The Government decided in November 2010 that in view of the need to achieve a permanent reduction in the number employed in the public health sector from 2011 onwards, and to facilitate public health reform, that targeted voluntary early retirement and voluntary redundancy schemes should be introduced for certain grades in the health sector. As these schemes post dated the retirement date of the person in question, the terms were not, unfortunately, available to him. As the Deputy will be aware, these two schemes have now been completed, access is no longer available and persons availing have left the system.

The ISER was a voluntary scheme and the individual concerned made a decision to avail of the scheme, based on the terms of that scheme, which included the immediate payment of pension without actuarial reduction, and the payment of 10% lump sum at time of retirement, with the balance of 90% payable when the retiree reaches normal preserved pension age.

Each applicant signed an undertaking to abide by the terms of the ISER and, therefore, I regret it is not possible to alter the terms which have already been accepted.