Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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246. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to change the policy of pensions ceasing on the demise of former HSE employees to allow the pension to pass to the spouse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37121/17]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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My responsibility as Minister is for the Civil Service Pension Schemes, though I am also responsible for the development of general policy on occupational pension schemes in the wider public service.

The HSE, in common with most public service employers, operates a spouses' and children's contributory pension scheme, which provides benefits to the spouses and children of deceased members. In general, when a member dies after retirement, a spouse's pension of one-half of the former member's pension is payable.  Dependent children are also entitled to a child's pension, the rate of which will depend on whether or not a spouse's pension is being paid and also on the number of eligible children. Spouses' and children's pensions are also payable in the case of death in service.

Under the provisions of the Superannuation Act 1956, there is a facility in the Established Civil Service Superannuation Scheme which enables a civil servant, at retirement, to surrender part of their pension so as to provide a separate pension for their spouse and/or dependent relatives.

The primary purpose of the facility is to allow an officer to make some provision for their families, particularly after their death. Although the facility is still available to civil servants, its use has sharply declined since the introduction of spouses' and children's pensions.

There is no provision in the Health Service Executive Employee Superannuation Scheme, 2010 (S.I. No. 362/2010) for allocating/surrendering of portion of pension.  Therefore, employees recruited by the HSE would not have this provision. However, those employees of former Health Boards who were previously members of the Local Government Superannuation Scheme may still have access to this provision.

I have no plans to review the policy in relation to public service spouses' and children's contributory pension schemes at present.