Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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83. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to formally recognise the Alliance of Retired Public Servants; to support it on pensions issues (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35792/15]

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I have met with representatives of retired public servants, firstly in May of 2013. At that time I indicated to them my support for the formation of  a pensioner representative grouping along the lines of the Alliance of Retired Public Servants. I also committed to move towards reducing  the impact of the Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR) at the earliest date the economic and fiscal recovery enabled this Government to do so, with the majority of the planned benefit focussed on benefitting those PSPR-affected public service pensioners who are in receipt of relatively lower public service pensions.

Since then, representatives of the Alliance have met me and officials of my Department on a number of occasions. For example, the Alliance made a submission regarding the Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR), among other issues, to my Department in May of 2015. At subsequent meetings the Alliance had the opportunity to discuss the issues covered in their submission.

I am happy to have delivered on my commitment to reduce the impact of PSPR on public service pensions. The proposals provide for the part-restoration of the PSPR pensions cuts in three stages effective from 1 January 2016, 1 January 2017 and 1 January 2018. From 1 January 2018, all public service pensions in payment with pre-PSPR values of €34,132 or less will be fully exempt from PSPR, while those pensioners not fully removed from the PSPR "net" will, in general, benefit by €1,680 per year. The cost of the announced changes is estimated at €90m on a full year basis in 2018.

My proposals to Government were welcomed by the Alliance at the time of their announcement.

While the award of a negotiating licence to a group representing pensioners under the Industrial Relations Acts would be a policy matter for my colleague,  the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, I believe that the current arrangements for engagement with the Alliance are operating satisfactorily.