Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 606: To ask the Minister for Health the number of retired public servants that have been rehired by him, or rehired by State agencies under his aegis. [5071/12]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

No retired staff have been rehired by my Department since I became Minister for Health.

It was a specific condition of the 2010 Voluntary Early Retirement (VER) scheme that persons availing of the scheme would not be eligible for re-employment in the public health sector or in the wider public service or in a body wholly or mainly funded from public moneys. The same prohibition on re-employment applied under the Voluntary Redundancy (VR) scheme also, except that the prohibition will be for a period of seven years, after which time any re-employment will require the approval of the Minister for Finance (now the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform). These provisions also apply in the case of re-engagement on a contract for service.

In order to ensure compliance with the provisions of the form of acceptance, public service employers must inquire of relevant future job applicants if they have availed of the terms of either of these schemes and adhere to the conditions outlined above.

In relation to a person who retired upon reaching retirement age, or retired early preserving pension benefits, there are no restrictions upon them applying for a position through normal recruitment/selection procedures. There are, however, provisions in most public service pension schemes to ensure that the combined earnings (pension plus pay) of a retired public servant who takes up public service employment, does not exceed the remuneration which they would have received had they remained in the former employment. This is known as abatement of pension.

Information relating to any rehiring of former public servants by the health service in 2011 will not be available until late February/early March and will be supplied direct to the Deputy (by the HSE) as soon as it is available.

The information concerning the State agencies under the aegis of my Department is being collated and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.