Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change)
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239. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will finalise the approval of pension increases for the 11,000 retired Eir staff and the over 6,000 An Post retirees (details supplied). [40986/24]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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The procedures for Ministerial consent of a pension increase in commercial semi state bodies are outlined in the Amendments to the Annex on Remuneration and Superannuation of the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, which were introduced by Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circular 16/2021. The Code of Practice provides that it is initially a matter for each Government Department, under whose aegis responsibility for individual commercial semi state bodies fall, to consider and approve any pension increase proposals and following this to seek the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform.

Eir wrote to the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications on 19 June 2024 to request Ministerial consent for a 2.5% discretionary pension increase, effective from 1 July 2024. The Department of Environment, Climate and Communications wrote to my Department on 2 September 2024 requesting my consent and I granted my consent on 10 October 2024 in accordance with the Code of Practice. The concurrence of the Minister for Finance was also sought for this increase on 10 October 2024 as required under Section 10 of the Telecom Éireann Main Superannuation Scheme 1988 and I understand that this matter is currently under review in the Department of Finance.

Rule 13 of the An Post Main Superannuation Scheme provides that the Company may grant such increases in pensions and preserved pensions under the Scheme as may be authorised from time to time by the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications with the concurrence of the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform.

An Post wrote to the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications on 21 June 2024, requesting approval to increase pensions in payment and deferred pensions by 2.0% effective from 1 January 2024. The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications wrote to my Department on 26 September 2024 requesting my consent for the increase. Having considered the proposal and reviewed the analysis by NewERA, I granted my consent on 15 October 2024 in accordance with the Code of Practice.