Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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133. To ask the Minister for Health when the issue pertaining to pensions entitlements which has been ongoing in relation to employees of the Central Remedial clinic will be resolved; if, in this context, his attention has been drawn to the fact that due to the present uncertainty persons who have recently retired have to resort to jobseeker's allowance rather than their due pension entitlements; if progress has been made in relation to their admission to the VHSS-SPSPS schemes without any further delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32255/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Central Remedial Clinic (CRC) is funded by the Health Service Executive under Section 38 of the Health Act 2004. The CRC is therefore accountable, in the first instance, to the HSE. As I have outlined previously, the HSE was requested to work with the CRC to resolve this matter in the context of Government policy on pay and pensions.

On 28 July my Department, following consultation with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, advised the HSE, that in the event that the wind up of the CRC Plan proceeded, that future service only, of the affected current CRC employees, will be provided for by way of access to standard public service pension scheme terms.

The HSE is currently engaging with the CRC in relation to the matter.