Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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186. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will engage with a group (details supplied) in upcoming negotiations to ensure that the rights and conditions for retired public servants are fully addressed as part of future agreements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23511/17]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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188. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will meet with representatives of a group (details supplied) to discuss the restoration of pensions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23564/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 186 and 188 together.

There is no legislative provision for access to third-party adjudication in respect of pension increases for recipients of public service pensions. Indeed there is no such facility for recipients of the Contributory State Pension. However, the interests and concerns of public service pensioners in relation to public service pension issues have been regularly articulated in meetings between the Alliance of Retired Public Servants and my Department. This engagement has also included meetings between the Alliance, myself and my predecessor. Through that process of engagement with the Alliance, I believe that public service pensioners have had, and continue to be afforded, a meaningful and direct means of articulating their concerns in relation to pensions and related issues.

The period since the Alliance’s engagement with my Department commenced in 2013 has been marked by notable legislated pension improvements for many public service pensioners. Specifically, public service pensioners are benefitting significantly from the substantial reversal of the cuts to public service pensions above specified thresholds which were originally imposed by way of the Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR) under the FEMPI legislation.

I and my Department are fully committed to maintaining the well-established dialogue with the Alliance of Retired Public Servants. Through ongoing recourse to that dialogue process, I believe that retired public servants and their representatives can be confident that their pension concerns will receive full and proper consideration as they have done in the past.