John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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118. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the public service superannuation (miscellaneous provisions) (amendment) Bill will be published; the committee in which will the Bill will be discussed for pre-legislative scrutiny; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19084/18]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, the Government agreed on 5 December 2017 that the compulsory retirement age of most public servants recruited before 1 April 2004 should be increased to age 70.  The Attorney General’s Office has been asked to prioritise the drafting of the necessary legislation so that the new compulsory retirement age will become effective as soon as possible.  The drafting process is under way and the Bill is on the list of priority legislation for publication in the Oireachtas Spring/Summer Session 2018.

I wrote to the Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform earlier in the year requesting them to undertake pre-legislative scrutiny on the General Scheme of the Bill at an early date.  The Committee in response has indicated that, while they do not intend to undertake pre-legislative scrutiny on this Bill, they will engage fully on the draft legislation in the context of the formal legislative process.  This approach is likely to facilitate passage of the Bill through the Oireachtas and I welcome the support of the Committee in this regard.