Written answers

Tuesday, 4 December 2018

Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

Superannuation Schemes

Photo of John McGuinnessJohn McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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166. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of injury warrants paid in the past five years; if there are conditions attached to these injury warrants; the range of conditions that must be met before qualifying for a warrant; the reason injury warrants are refused; and the number of refusals issued in the past five years. [50401/18]

Photo of Paschal DonohoePaschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The Civil Service Injury Warrants are a series of statutory instruments made under the Superannuation Acts. They provide additional benefits over and above normal pension entitlements, to or in respect of officers who are killed or injured in the performance of their duties.

An annual allowance may be granted to an officer who is forced to retire as a result of their injuries, or in respect of an officer who dies within 7 years and as a result of their injuries. Special gratuities may be granted in cases of death or injury in the course of duty while travelling by air, or as a direct result of war, insurrection or civil unrest.

To qualify for the award of an annual allowance under the Injury Warrants, all of the following conditions must be met:

1. the injury must result in retirement on grounds of ill-health (if the individual dies within seven years of the date of injury, their dependants may qualify for an annual allowance);

2. the injury must occur in the actual discharge of duties;

3. the injury must be specifically attributable to the nature of the officer's duties; and

4. the injury must not result from the officer's own default.

Allowance payments are at varying rates, depending on the degree to which the officer’s capacity to contribute to his/her own support is impaired as a result of the injury.

No new awards have been granted under the Civil Service Injury Warrants over the past five years. Three applications have been refused, with the reasons cited linked to the conditions mentioned above. In one case, the application was refused on grounds that a previous compensation settlement had been paid that prevented the application from being proceeded with.

Finally, I would point out that I have personal responsibility in relation to the Civil Service Pension Scheme. I understand that sectoral provisions, similar in purpose to the Injury Warrants, exist for other parts of the public service, and so the Deputy may also wish to direct his query to the Ministers concerned.

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