Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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200. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will ensure that retired teachers can be paid their pension into post office savings accounts. [32984/13]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Under the Public Service Transformation Plan, which was published in November 2011, all payments by Government Departments will be made by electronic fund transfer from August 2013.

In order to ensure continued payment of pension when Payable Orders cease to issue in August this year, my Department is currently advising the small number of retired personnel who get paid by Payable Order to make arrangements to be paid by Electronic Fund Transfer.

All banks accept EFT payments and a number of credit unions now also accept them.

I understand that work is being done by another Government Department at present with An Post to determine if it is possible to facilitate payment by Electronic Fund Transfer to State Savings Accounts. If the outcome of this work is successful my Department will try and facilitate the introduction of a similiar arrangement for retired personnel paid on our payroll.