Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 404: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of retired civil or public servants that have been rehired by her Department since March 2012; their positions and accompanying salaries. [36754/12]

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 405: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of retired civil or public servants that have been retained by her Department since March 2012 on a short term contract or on a consultancy basis where normal abatement rules to not apply. [36770/12]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 404 and 405 together.

Since March 2012, one member of staff in my Department, the Chief Medical Adviser, has been rehired on a temporary contract on a payscale of between €93,197 and €113,503. His salary is reduced to take account of the rate of his pension payment. In addition, the acting Deputy Chief Medial Adviser has been retained, on a temporary basis, beyond his normal retirement age on a payscale of between €80,051 and €98,424 with an allowance in respect of performance of the role of Deputy Chief Medical Adviser. Payment of his pension is suspended pending the termination of his temporary retention. The decision to re-employ the Chief Medical Adviser and to retain the acting Deputy Chief Medical Adviser was taken due to their specific skills and experience, the difficulty and long lead-in time for replacing such skills and the critical importance of ensuring continuity and a high level of service to customers of the Department.