Written answers

Tuesday, 29 November 2016

Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

Pension Provisions

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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250. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the position of a pension-related deduction payable in respect of dual public sector workers and specifically in respect of retained fire fighters with dual employment with their local authorities. [37490/16]

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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251. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if retained fire fighters should have the pension-related deduction thresholds on both employments, as was the case in 2009 and 2010. [37491/16]

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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252. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the reason certain public sector workers are paying very little and in some cases no pension-related deduction in relation to their fire fighting services. [37492/16]

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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254. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his views on whether it is fair and equitable that retained fire fighters who had already chosen to waive joining the superannuation scheme in favour of accepting a gratuity hadretirement benefits significantly diminished when compared to the pension-related deduction payable over their working lives up to the point of retirement. [37495/16]

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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255. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his Department expects to address the inequality suffered by retained fire fighters in dual employment as a result of the application of the pension-related deduction to their dual employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37496/16]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 250 to 252, inclusive, and 254 and 255 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 Pension Related Deduction (PRD) from their remuneration.  Additional pension benefits do not arise as a result of this deduction.

In the case of a local authority worker who is also a member of the Local Government Superannuation Scheme, PRD contributions are payable in respect of the pay applicable to  that employment also, on the basis that such a person qualifies for the payment of a pension and lump sum as a member of the LGSS.

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.

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