Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)
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44. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if service training days will be considered towards days service with respect to an individual’s pension eligibility (details supplied); if recourse is available to such an individual who falls short of the five years of service requirement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26321/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware, I have overarching responsibility for public service pension policy, however my Department does not hold individual records or deal with operational pension processing. Responsibility for the administration of sectoral pension schemes and the processing of individual pension cases resides with the relevant Government Department or public service body in the first instance, subject to the overarching policy framework set out by my Department.

Notwithstanding this, the questions of policy interpretation and application come under my remit, and I can confirm general policy in relation to the preservation of pension benefits in the Civil Service, including the Irish Prison Service.

In the Civil Service, the concept of a preserved pension did not exist prior to 1 June 1973. Under the Superannuation Acts, which govern the pension scheme for Established Civil Servants (including the Irish Prison Service), in order to obtain a pension benefit an individual was previously required to retire from the Civil Service having reached their minimum pension age and having accrued a minimum of 10 years’ service.

Preservation of pension was introduced for members of the pension scheme for Established Civil Servants with effect from 1 June 1973. In order to qualify for a preserved pension, an individual must have accrued a minimum of 5 years of pensionable service.

This qualifying service requirement was reduced to two years, in all pension schemes, with effect from 2 June 2002, in accordance with the Pensions (Amendment) Act 2002.

In public service pension schemes, the minimum service requirement for the grant of pension benefits is generally known as a “vesting period”. This means that on completing the prescribed period a member will have vested pension rights in their pension scheme. Where an officer has not completed the relevant vesting period, they hold no entitlement to pension benefits in the scheme and are entitled to apply for a refund of any superannuation contributions they made during employment.

I note that the reference to “service training days” is not one that is known in this Department, and does not appear to refer to a policy feature in the area of public service pensions. However, I can confirm that for service to be reckonable under the scheme during the period concerned, the following conditions apply:

• It must be service in a directly employed personal capacity and not service under a contract for services or on a fee or commission paid basis.
• Unpaid leave, or sick leave at pension rate of pay, is not reckonable.
• Service will not reckon if additional remuneration in lieu of pensionability has been paid in respect of the service.
• Service which is reckoned for the benefits under the scheme cannot also reckon for the purposes of any other superannuation scheme which is financed largely or wholly from public monies.
• Appropriate contributions must be paid.