Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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166. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the reason retained firefighters are not eligible for a pension when they retire, despite paying tax on the payments they receive for their work. [21085/15]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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167. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the reason retained firefighters have been forced to pay the pension levy, despite not having any work-related pension; and if the pension levy will be abolished for this category of workers forthwith. [21086/15]

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Socialist Party)
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168. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will cease the pension levy being applied to the salaries of retained fire fighters who are not eligible for a public service pension; if he will refund the deductions from their income since the pension levy was introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21125/15]

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 166 to 168, inclusive, together.

In 2008, retained fire-fighters were given the option of joining the Local Government Superannuation Scheme (LGSS) and receive a pension and retirement lump sum based on their pensionable remuneration and length of service. Retained fire-fighters who opted not to join the scheme receive, on retirement, a gratuity of 1/8th of the annual retainer multiplied by the number of years of actual service (up to a maximum of four times the annual retainer). All retained fire-fighters appointed after 1 January 2013 must join the Single Public Service Pension Scheme.

The Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009 states that any public servant who is a member of a public service pension scheme, is entitled to a benefit under such a scheme, or receives a payment in lieu of membership of such a scheme, is subject to a deduction from their remuneration. Additional pension benefits do not arise as a result of this deduction.

The payment of the retirement gratuity to retained firefighters who are not members of the LGSS is a payment in lieu of membership of a pension scheme and, as such, all retained fire-fighters, whether members of a public service pension scheme or not, are subject to the deduction outlined in the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009. Responsibility for this legislation rests with my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.