The Public Service Pensions Act was debated at Committee Stage and has been passed by the Oireachtas. (You may view the act via the following link):
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2012/en/act/pub/0037/index.html
As members of ARCOIreland will be aware from previous postings, a number of issues contained in the original Bill were a cause for concern. Efforts were successful in having the issue of the Abatement of Pensions clarified, through amendments at the Committee Stage and the accompanying debate.
The Bill would have allowed the service pension of retired officers, who were re-employed in the Public Sector, to be abated and paid only to make up any shortfall that might exist between their new Public Service salary and their final military salary. It would have meant that where the new Public Service salary was greater than the final military salary, no service pension would be paid.
This section has been amended and will not be applied retrospectively. It will, however, apply to officers who retire after a commencement order is signed and take up a job in the Public Service. Although the Bill passed into law as an Act on 28 July 2012, the minister has yet to sign the relevant commencement order in this case.
The provision in the Bill, whereby pension increases are now tied to the Consumer Price Index, remains in place. This will impact on Public Service pensioners in general. ARCOIreland will continue in its efforts to protect the pensions of its members.
Please also see ARCOIreland Newsletter – Autumn 2012 for further information on this issue.
