Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of public sector workers who have retired in the last three years within her Department or any Office/Body under her aegis that have been re-instated; if she will provide details on the pay rates they are receiving; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11000/13]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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In March 2012, one member of staff in the Department, the Chief Medical Advisor, was re-hired on a temporary contract on a payscale of €93,197 to €113,503. Payment of his pension is abated pending the termination of his temporary contract. The decision to re-employ the Chief Medical Advisor was taken due to his specific skills and his involvement in the policy reform of the illness related schemes, the difficulty and long lead-in time for replacing his skills, and the critical importance of ensuring continuity and a high level of service to customers of the Department.

As an exception to the current moratorium on recruitment, my Department has limited sanction to recruit temporary clerical officers to cover critical staff absences and to assist with the roll-out of the new Public Service Card. Three of these temporary staff are retired civil servants. They are on a payscale of €22,016 to €35,515 and were recruited from open competitions run by the Public Appointments Service. Abatement of pension applies, if applicable, pending the termination of their temporary contracts. Following an open competition for staff with investigative skills, the Pensions Board, which is under the aegis of my Department, employed two people on temporary contracts who were previously employed by An Garda Síochana and who are in receipt of Garda pensions. The salary scales for the two staff are €46,081 - €58,294 and €65,185 - €80,678.