Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 276: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, further to Parliamentary Question No. 251 of 24 January 2012, the date on which normal retirement age will occur in respect of the person referred to in section (a) of the last paragraph of his response; the amount expected to be paid by the organisation to his Department at that time based on current salary rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5480/12]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The individual retired from the Houses of the Oireachtas Service in 2010 under the Cost Neutral Early Retirement Scheme and will reach normal retirement age in March of this year. The Deputy may wish to note that the officer was a Civil Servant and not a direct employee of a Member of the Oireachtas or of a Minister/Minister of State.

Following my reply to question 251 on 24 January, I have since been informed that, under the terms of the Public Sector Transfer Network as they apply in this particular case, the organisation in question is not obliged to make a contribution towards the retirement benefits of the individual in question because the transfer is deemed to be a pre-operative date transfer.

Every organisation in the Transfer Network has its own 'operative date' which is usually the date the organisation was designated as an 'approved organisation' for the purpose of Section 4 of the Superannuation and Pensions Act 1963. When it comes to an individual transfer case, the provisions of the Network state that the case must be categorised as being either a pre-operative date or a post-operative date transfer. Such categorisation is determined by the later of the operative dates of the two organisations involved. If the person left the first organisation before that date, the case is deemed to be pre-operative; if s/he left after the operative date, the case is a post-operative one. The scheme provides that organisations are obliged to accept post-operative date transfers, but may refuse to accept those which are pre-operative. However, where an organisation decides to accept a pre-operative date transfer, the scheme states that the former organisation is not obliged to make a contribution to the second organisation. The Civil Service accepts all pre-operative date transfers even though it may not receive a contribution from the previous organisation.

Luke Flanagan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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Question 277: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will consider extending a career break for an employee of a local authority from three years to five years (details supplied) on the basis that it will save the Exchequer funds. [5535/12]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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My Department has responsibility for the career break scheme for civil servants, which is governed by Circular 18/1998. I understand that, under section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each County and City Manager is responsible for the day to day staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible. Accordingly, career break requests are entirely a matter for the local authority manager concerned.

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 278: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the current salary scale, including the pay spine, for civil service positions (details supplied). [5537/12]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The information requested is available from my Departments website http://per.gov.ie. I would bring the Deputy's attention to circulars 28/2009 dated 22 December 2009 - Revisions of pay of Civil Servants: Application of pay adjustments in accordance with the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Act 2009 and circular 18/2010 dated 23 December 2010 - Reduction of 10% in the pay rates and fixed term allowances of persons to be recruited to certain direct entry grades to the Civil Service.