Lisa Chambers (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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14. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the reason in circumstances in which there has been no change to the conditions upon which his Department agreed to pay a supplementary pension he has not addressed the situation in a timeframe and manner similar to the measures approved for other public servants. [3454/18]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I take it the Deputy is referring to the absence of the concept of “supplementary pensions” from the provisions of the single public service pension scheme.

As I indicated in my response to recent Questions, the occupational pension scheme terms of post-1 January 2013 new entrants to the public service, including the Permanent Defence Force, are governed by the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012.  All first-time new entrants to pensionable public service employment on or after that date are members of the Single Scheme.  Under the 2012 Act, overall statutory responsibility for the Single Scheme pension terms and rules rests with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. 

The Single Scheme is a key structural fiscal reform introduced to help significantly reduce the cost of public service pensions in the long term through far-reaching transformation of the public service pension system. Given that financial imperative, the terms and rules of the Single Scheme, which are fundamentally different to previous superannuation public service arrangements, make no provision for the concept or award of supplementary pensions for any new entrants joining any public service group from that date onwards.  

Some years before the introduction of the new Single Scheme, the Department of Defence and Department of Public Expenditure and Reform had put sectoral pension agreements in place with PDFORRA and RACO in respect of PDF personnel serving at the time.  These pre-2013 sectoral agreements include specific provision for supplementary pensions for officers who joined the PDF from 6 April 1995, as well as enlisted personnel who joined from 1 April 2004. The Single Scheme does not impact on those pre-2013 sectoral agreements. However, by virtue of the provisions of the 2012 Act, those pre-2013 sectoral agreements have no application to PDF members of the Single Scheme.  

The absence from the Single Scheme of provision for the concept of supplementary pensions for any new entrants joining any public service group – including the PDF – on or after 1st January 2013, has been confirmed by the Official Side to the Defence Forces Representative Associations. 

Moreover, I am advised that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform has recently reiterated that position stating, among other things, that there are no plans for the introduction of supplementary pensions under the Single Scheme.  My Department is not aware of any change in that position for any affected Single Scheme occupation in the public service.   

A claim for payment of the supplementary pension to post-1 January 2013 new entrants has been received under the Conciliation and Arbitration (C&A) Scheme for members of the PDF. The Deputy will appreciate that as discussions under the C&A scheme are confidential to the parties involved it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on the matter at this time.