Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Question 113: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the cost of lump sums, severance payments and pensions of those leaving the public service through retirement or other grounds; the loss of pension levy and superannuation from employees leaving the public service; the numbers of persons who were paid under Vote 12 superannuation and retired allowances in 2011 and his estimate of same for 2012; if he will provide this information in respect of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10428/12]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The estimated public service pension cost for 2011 is €2.75 billion. The reduction in public service numbers will lead to overall payroll savings rather than losses or further expenses. As the pension-related deduction (PRD) is a measure designed to reduce expenditure, it would not be correct to categorise the fact that the PRD will not apply to salaries no longer being paid as a loss.

18,636 persons were paid from Vote 12 last year, including spouses and children as well as occupational pensioners; the estimate for 2012 is 19,448.

Four people retired from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in 2011. Some €510,277 was paid to these staff in lump sums and the annual pension cost for these staff will be circa €160,000. The pension related deduction paid by these staff would have amounted to approximately €23,600 per annum while the pension contributions paid by them would have amounted to approximately €3,600 per annum.

Fourteen people are due to retire from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform before end February 2012, at an estimated lump sum cost of €1.2 million, and an estimated annual pension cost of €400,000. The pension related deduction in relation to these staff is approximately €92,600 per annum and their pension contributions amount to approximately €17,000 per annum.