Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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Question 149: To ask the Minister for Finance the reason a pension was reduced in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath. [10702/12]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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As part of the move to the greater use of shared services in the public sector in order to drive efficiencies, the Paymaster General's Office, which is part of my Department, took over the payment, on an agency basis, of pensions of the retired staff of the Vocational Education Committees. Payment of these pensions was previously made through the Local Authorities. The Paymaster General's Office pays all pensions fortnightly on relevant Thursdays for the previous two weeks in arrears. The Local Authorities also pay pensions fortnightly, but their period of payment is for the two calendar weeks and, therefore, would contain an element of advance at the point of payment. In transferring to the Paymaster General's system, this element of advance payment was eliminated in the first fortnightly payment of pension. Thereafter pensions are paid for two weeks in arrears. No pensioner loses out as a result.