Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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277. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to review the pension entitlements of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5669/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Single Public Service Pension Scheme was introduced in 2013 to place publicly-funded retirement benefits on a more sustainable footing. The Single Scheme is the default public service pension scheme for all new entrant public servants since 1 January 2013. The Single Scheme is underpinned by the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 ('the Act').

In the case of persons taking up pensionable public service employment on or after 1 January 2013, pension scheme assignment is governed by Section 10 of the Act. In general, that section provides that membership of the Single Scheme will apply to all first-time new entrants to the public service on or after that date, as well as previous public servants unless they qualify for one of the exemptions provided in the 2012 Act.

The most common exemption is set out in Section 10(5) of the 2012 Act and applies where a public servant previously held membership of a pre-existing public service pension scheme and did not subsequently have a break in public service employment of more than 26 weeks. Such persons normally become members of the pre-existing public service pension scheme operating in their new workplace.

There is no facility to transfer service accrued in pre-existing public service pension schemes into the Single Scheme, nor can benefits accrued or contributions paid in pre-existing schemes be recognised in the Single Scheme.

Where an individual holds a pension entitlement under both a pre-existing public service pension scheme and the Single Scheme, this will give rise to separate benefits payable in accordance with the terms of the scheme(s) concerned.

The specific rules and features of the Defence Forces pre-existing pension schemes are a matter for the Department of Defence and I am not in a position to comment on these.