QUESTION NO:194
To ask the Minister for Defence if there are plans to introduce voluntary early retirement in the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. DEPUTY DAVID STANTON.
FOR WRITTEN ANSWER ON WEDNESDAY, 29TH APRIL, 2009
Ref No: 17100/09 Proof: 167
REPLY
Minister for Defence (Mr. Willie O’Dea, T.D.);
There are no plans to introduce a voluntary early retirement scheme in the Defence Forces.
The existing enhanced pension arrangements for members of the Defence Forces differ significantly from the normal public service arrangements.
QUESTION NO: 176 to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. Ahern) for WRITTEN on Tuesday, 7th April, 2009.
* To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of An Garda Síochána who applied for early retirement every month for the past 12 months; the number of applications for early retirement which are currently being processed; the number expected to apply for early retirement in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. – David Stanton
REPLY.
I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that the number of his Members who have applied for early retirement in the year since April 2008 and the numbers being processed are as set out hereunder:
|
2008 |
2009 |
||||||||||||
|
April |
May |
June |
July |
August |
Sept |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Jan |
Feb |
March |
April |
May |
|
25 |
18 |
34 |
11 |
9 |
61 |
41 |
21 |
34 |
23 |
16 |
86 |
64 |
52 |
It is not possible to provide a detailed breakdown of how many other members may leave the force for different reasons. However the figures for previous years may be helpful to the Deputy and these are shown in the following table.
| Year | Total |
| 2004 | 478 |
| 2005 | 462 |
| 2006 | 403 |
| 2007 | 289 |
QUESTION NO: 177 to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. Ahern) for WRITTEN on Tuesday, 7th April, 2009.
* To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of prisoner officers who applied for early retirement every month for the past 12 months; the number of applications for early retirement which are currently being processed; the number expected to apply for early retirement in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. – David Stanton
REPLY.
The Deputy may be aware that the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2004 made significant changes to the Civil Service Superannuation Scheme. That Act increased to 55 the minimum age at which superannuation benefits may be paid to ‘new entrants’ to the Prison Service. Whilst the compulsory retirement age for members of the Prison Service remains unchanged at 60 years, staff who entered the Irish Prison Service prior to 2004, can retire with full pension entitlements at age 50 provided they have 30 years actual prison service.
Having set out the current provisions I am assuming that the Deputy is seeking information on Prison Officers who applied to retire before reaching 50 years and, accordingly, details of officers who may have retired early on grounds of ill health have not been incorporated in the reply.
The Director General of the Prison Service informs me that there have been no applications for early retirement in the last 12 months and no early retirement applications are being processed at the current time.
I am sure the Deputy will appreciate that it is not possible for the Irish Prison Service to predict, with any degree of certainty, what level of application(s) may or may not be made for early retirement over the next 12 months.
Uimhir:391
To ask the Minister for Education and Science the number of primary and secondary school teachers who applied for early retirement every month for the past 12 months; the number of applications for early retirement which are currently being processed; the number expected to apply for early retirement in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. – David Stanton.
* For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 7th April, 2009. Reference Number: 14574/09
Freagra
Minister Batt O’Keeffe
There are a number of different arrangements under which teachers may retire early on pension.
Teachers who are not new entrants as defined in the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004 may retire voluntarily from age 55 years onwards. Where the teacher is aged 55 but under 60 he or she must satisfy the following conditions:
– have completed at least 35 years pensionable service, or
– have completed at least 34 years pensionable service and have 3 years pre-service training, or
– have completed at least 33 years pensionable service and have 4 years pre-service training
While this pre-service training can be taken into account for the purpose of qualifying for retirement at 55 years of age, it cannot be used to credit service on which benefits will be based. There is no actuarial reduction in benefits.
Teachers aged 50 (or aged 55 if a new entrant), who have competed at least 2 years pensionable service, may also retire early and avail of cost neutral early retirement. Superannuation benefits, actuarially reduced, come into payment immediate on retirement.
A voluntary Early Retirement Scheme had operated from 1996 in the case of primary teachers and 1997 in the case of post-primary teachers until its suspension with immediate effect in October 2008 on foot of Budget 2009. The Scheme consisted of three strands.
Strand 1 related to teachers who were consistently experiencing professional difficulties in their teaching duties.
Strand 2 related to teachers whose retirement would provide their school with an opportunity to enhance the education service being provided through facilitating change. Strand 3 related to teachers who were in posts which are surplus to requirements.
Over the past 12 months, 998 primary, secondary, community and comprehensive school teachers chose to retire early; ie under the 55/35 year rule, cost-neutral early retirement and voluntary early retirement (now suspended).
Currently 263 applications from teacher are being processed in my Department for early retirement between now and the end of the current school year. It is estimated that in the 2009/2010 school-year in the region of 900 will opt for early retirement.
QUESTION NO:274
To ask the Minister for Defence the number of Defence Force personnel who applied for early retirement every month for the past 12 months; the number of applications for early retirement which are currently being processed; the number expected to apply for early retirement in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. DEPUTY DAVID STANTON
FOR WRITTEN ANSWER ON TUESDAY, 7TH APRIL, 2009. Ref No: 14573/09
REPLY
Minister for Defence, (Mr. Willie O’Dea T.D.); The total number of personnel who were discharged from the Defence Forces, for reasons other than age during the period 01 April 2008 and 01 April 2009 is outlined in the table below:-
|
Month |
Number |
| April’08 |
51 |
| May’08 |
24 |
| June’08 |
39 |
| July’08 |
30 |
| August 2008 |
43 |
| September 2008 |
52 |
| October 2008 |
62 |
| November 2008 |
35 |
| December 2008 |
37 |
| January 2009 |
25 |
| February 2009 |
21 |
| March 2009 |
20 |
| TOTAL |
439* |
* It should be noted that 109 of the personnel involved were recruits and as such had not yet become effective.
The number of applications for discharge (for reasons other than age) currently being processed is thirty one (31).
As the Defence Forces does not invite applications for early retirement and does not have an early retirement scheme it would not be possible to predict accurately the number of applications for ‘early retirement’ in the coming twelve months.
QUESTION NO: 118 to the Minister for Health and Children (Ms. Harney (Dublin Mid-West)) for WRITTEN ANSWER on 07/04/2009
* To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of medical personnel who applied for early retirement every month for the past 12 months; the number of applications for early retirement which are currently being processed; the number expected to apply for early retirement in the next 12 months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. David Stanton T.D.
REPLY.
The Health Service Executive is responsible for HR matters in relation to medical personnel and therefore is the appropriate organisation to address the Deputy’s query. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter investigated and to have a reply issue to the Deputy.