Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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281. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will address the issues raised with his Department by a person (details supplied) in County Cork concerning the discontinuation of a pension. [25749/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The pensions of some retired public servants, including some teachers, are coordinated with social welfare benefits where the pensioner had paid full rate Class A PRSI during some or all of his/her employment. Class A rate PRSI payment brings with it an entitlement to a state pension payable by the Department of Social Protection. The State pension becomes payable at age 65. As some public servants (particularly teachers) retire significantly earlier than age 65, their occupational pension may, on application and subject to certain criteria, be augmented by the payment of a supplementary pension by the occupational pension provider. The purpose in paying a supplementary pension is to ensure that such public servants who paid Class A rate PRSI are not disadvantaged in the period between their retirement and their receipt of the state pension.

One of the conditions attaching to the award of a supplementary pension is that its payment should cease or be reduced, as appropriate, where the pensioner becomes entitled to a state pension. Cessation of the supplementary pension occurs where the rate of state pension payable is greater than the rate of the supplementary pension which was in payment. The person to whom the Deputy refers applied for and was awarded a supplementary pension following retirement from teaching. It has been established that the person to whom the Deputy refers is currently receiving a State pension. As a result of this, payment of supplementary pension from my Department has been discontinued. Payment of the occupational pension continues in the normal way. While my Department must cease payment of the supplementary pension in accordance with the terms of the statutory pension scheme, the issues raised by the person to whom the Deputy refers will be addressed in a sensitive manner.