Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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165. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he intends to review or update the integrated pension scheme, not only for Defence Forces personnel but also for other frontline public sector workers, including Gardaí, firefighters, and nurses, given ongoing concerns that younger members of these professions may not receive their full pensions upon retirement due to the structure of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6034/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I would like to thank the Deputy for his question, which, following clarification, I understand is in relation to Supplementary Pensions in the Single Public Service Pension Scheme.

The Single Scheme is a statutory Public Service Career-Average Defined Benefit Pension Scheme. It was established on 1 January 2013 under the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012.

The provisions of the Single Scheme are clearly set out in law. All new-entrant public servants hired after 1 January 2013 are members of the Single Scheme.

The introduction of the Single Scheme is the biggest change to public pensions since the formation of the State. It has been instrumental in ensuring the sustainability of the Public Service pension bill for decades to come. This is particularly key in the context of rising public service employee numbers.

While career-averaging pension schemes are common across the public and private sectors, Defined Benefit schemes are no longer common in the private sector, where Defined Contributions schemes are more frequent. It is generally agreed that Defined Benefit schemes are more beneficial for employees. This is due to the fixed nature of benefits, an attractive feature of the Single Scheme.

There are no plans at this time to review the Single Scheme.

Uniformed staff such as firefighters, Prison Officers, members of An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces, have enhanced benefits that other members of the Single Scheme do not have. Uniformed staff can accrue more Single Scheme benefits over their expected shorter public service careers. This is in recognition of their earlier retirement age, and allows for additional early payment of scheme benefits.

When uniformed staff reach normal retirement age, they can retire at that age and receive occupational retirement benefits accrued at a higher rate. This includes their retirement lump-sum and the commencement of their pension benefit payments. Single Scheme pension benefits are integrated with the State Pension (Contributory) as members pay Class A PRSI. These benefits are separate and additional to any entitlement that they may have to the State Pension (Contributory), which is paid by the Department of Social Protection at State Pension age.

In 2024, Government enacted Part 11 of the Courts, Civil Law, Criminal Law and Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2024. This legislation allowed for an increase in the mandatory retirement age for uniformed staff to 62 years of age, for those who may choose to avail of it. This legislative change also allows uniformed members of the Single Scheme to accrue additional referable amounts towards their occupational pension, for the additional years worked. This had not been possible previously. A Supplementary Pension has never been a feature of the Single Scheme, nor was it ever envisaged that it would be.

With regard to the Deputy's reference to nurses, all nurses who joined the public service on or after 1 January 2013 are enrolled as standard accrual members of the Single Scheme. The minimum retirement age for standard accrual members of the Single Scheme is linked to the contributory state pension payment age, which is currently age 66. Therefore, on retirement, nurses enrolled in the Single Scheme are entitled to receive their occupational pension benefits at the same time as their State pension benefits.