Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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34. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of women who were affected by the marriage bar before it was abolished in 1973; the number of women who have a reduced or no public service pension due to them having to leave their public-sector employment with the marriage bar; and the estimated cost of providing a public service pension to these women. [26959/22]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that I have primary responsibility for Civil Service pensions only.  The responsibility for other Public Service pensions rests with the relevant Minister.

Therefore this department would not have the full information requested by the Deputy in respect of on all individuals who left the public service. The Deputy would need to seek that information separately from each public service entity.

However for the Civil Service, records show 1,240 marriage gratuities were paid in the period 1962-1973. There are no records prior to this date. This figure does not include officers who resigned on marriage but who did not have the requisite service to qualify for the gratuity as such records were not kept at the time.  This figure does not take account of individuals who resigned with a marriage gratuity, subsequently returned to work in the public service and opted to repay the marriage gratuity in order to reckon prior service.

Prior to 1974, the law required female employees to resign on marriage. In such cases, employees under pension age who had at least five years’ service (six years prior to 1 January 1968) qualified for marriage gratuities of 1/12th of salary per year of service, subject to a maximum of one year's salary, in lieu of any pension benefits. Following the abolition of the marriage bar, any officer appointed before 1974 has the option of resigning within two years of marriage and a) receiving a marriage gratuity and forfeiting any pension entitlement, b) preserving benefits when he/she resigns, or c) remaining in employment. Officers who received a marriage gratuity and who are subsequently reappointed in an established capacity may refund the gratuity and have all prior service aggregated with subsequent service for superannuation purposes. The refund of a marriage gratuity is subject to interest in certain circumstances.

As the Deputy will be aware, a key principle of Public Service Pensions Policy is that pension entitlements are based on reckonable service.