Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

359. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Department is examining the equality issues of public sector employees who are unmarried, that is single, divorced or widowed and without children, but are contributing 1.5% of their monthly gross salary to the spouses' and children's superannuation scheme; if he has appointed officials to examine the equality issues of this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2827/17]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

365. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of public sector employees who are unmarried, that is, single, divorced or widowed, and without children, but are contributing 1.5% of their monthly gross salary to the spouses' and children's superannuation scheme; the number of public sector employees in these categories with no dependent children whose children are over 18 years of age, but are contributing 1.5% of their monthly gross salary to the spouses' and children's superannuation scheme; the financial contribution of both of these groups to this superannuation scheme; the total number of public sector employees contributing 1.5% of their monthly gross salary to the spouses' and children's superannuation scheme; the value of this superannuation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2825/17]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

366. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the total number of recipients of payments from the spouses' and children's superannuation scheme in each of the years 2014 to 2016 and to date in 2017; the total value of each of these superannuation scheme payments for each of these years; the total number of public sector employees; the total number of public sector employees who are unmarried, that is single, divorced or widowed with no children; the total number of public sector employees who are unmarried, that is single, divorced or widowed with children over 18 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2826/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 359, 365 and 366 together.

My responsibility extends to the Superannuation Schemes for Civil Servants and my response only refers to that sector. For information on the wider Public Service I would direct the Deputy to the respective Ministers with responsibility for the other sectors of the Public Sector. My Department does not hold personal information of Civil Servants to the level of detail requested by the Deputy in relation to marital status and children.

There are two separate Spouses' and Children's Pension Schemes for the Civil Service, one for Established Staff and one for Non-Established Staff.  Within each Scheme there are two further categories (i) the Original Scheme and (ii) the Revised Scheme.  For Established Staff the Original Scheme was introduced for male staff in 1968 and for female staff in 1981, and the Revised Scheme was introduced for all staff in 1984.  For Non-Established Staff the Original Scheme was introduced for male staff in 1978 and the Revised Scheme was introduced in 1986, at which time membership was extended to female staff. 

When the Original Scheme was introduced, all eligible staff serving at the time of its introduction were given an option to join.  When the Revised Scheme was introduced it replaced the Original Scheme and applied automatically to all people recruited after its introduction.  Again, all eligible staff serving at the time of the introduction of the Revised Scheme were given an option to join (regardless of whether they had been members of the Original Scheme).  Therefore, depending on the date of appointment, and depending also on any membership options the employee may have exercised in the past, an employee may be a member of the Original or the Revised Scheme or of neither. 

The main differences between the Original and the Revised Schemes are that the Revised Scheme covers marriages after retirement (the Original Scheme did not) and a broader category of eligible children. Where a member was unmarried at the time of retirement, the Original Scheme provided for a refund of some or all the contributions paid by that member.

It is generally not possible to determine that a person will never benefit from the revised spouses' and children's pension scheme as it provides cover for marriages and civil partnerships after retirement. Furthermore, children conceived after retirement, children born outside of marriage, step-children where the marriage took place after retirement and children adopted after retirement are all covered under the revised scheme.

Civil Service spouses' and children's schemes are structured on a group insurance basis and the member contribution rates take account of the fact that payment of benefits will not arise in respect of all members. I have no plans to review these arrangements

Records maintained by my Department indicate that there were just over 37,500 employees in the civil service at the end of Q3 2016. The detail sought by the deputy with regard to recipients of payments from the spouses' and children's scheme for the civil service is shown in the following table. The 2017 data is with respect to just one pay period.