Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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Question 421: To ask the Minister for Defence the number of employees in his Department who have expressed an interest in retiring ahead of the changes to the public sector pension schemes that are to come into force in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25782/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has introduced a temporary three month minimum notice period for retirement from the Civil Service, following the extension of the "Grace Period" to 29 February 2012, i.e. the period during which the calculation of public service pensions is unaffected by the pay reductions applied under the "Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Act 2009." The last date for staff to notify of their intention to retire during the extended Grace Period is 30 November 2011. It is therefore not yet possible to indicate the number of staff who intend to retire ahead of the changes to public sector pensions.

While a number of staff of this Department have made enquiries regarding their pension entitlements should they avail of the opportunity to retire during the Grace Period, it would be premature to consider these as expressions of interest in advance of formal notification of their intention to retire.