Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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180. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will consult with a group (details supplied) regarding the restoration of public sector pensions with particular reference to moving forward the 2021 timeline in the programme for Government. [23763/17]

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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181. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will engage in a formal talks process with a group (details supplied) to discuss the way in which the date projected in the programme for Government for completion of the restoration of pensions 2021 could be brought forward. [23764/17]

Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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183. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will consult a group (details supplied) regarding the restoration of public sector pensions with a view to moving forward the 2021 timeline in the programme for government. [23925/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 180, 181 and 183 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.