Written Answers. - Parliamentary Debates - Houses of the Oireachtas

Questions— 14 February 2012. Written Answers
279. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will
outline for each year from 2008 to 2015 the expected staff numbers in the public service at the
end of each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8419/12]
284. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform
with regard to the early retirement scheme under which public servants have the option of
retiring by the end of February 2012, the analysis that was done prior to the announcement of
this scheme on the number of public servants that would avail of this regarding rank or class,
and at what cost; if he will release this analysis; the estimate that was made of the necessity of
replacing some of these immediately, and the cost involved; and if he will release any analysis
documents on this; the measures that are in place to ensure that those retiring will not be
rehired by the public sector as consultants. [8485/12]
Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (Deputy Brendan Howlin): I propose to take
Questions Nos. 275, 276, 279 and 284 together.
Firstly, there is no generally available incentivised scheme of early retirement in operation
at present in the public or civil service. Many of the retirements at this time are occurring in
the normal course where an individual has reached retirement age. There are also cases where
individuals are availing of “cost-neutral early retirement”, which allows retirement earlier than
normal retirement age, but with an off-setting actuarial reduction applied to the individual’s
lump sum and pension.
When public service salaries were reduced in 2010, it was agreed by the then Government
that persons retiring during a transitional or “grace” period would have their retirement
benefits calculated on the basis of the previous payscale levels before the salary cut. That grace
period will now expire on 29 February 2012. Persons retiring from 1 March 2012 onwards will
have their retirement benefits calculated on the basis of their actual, reduced pay scale.
Secondly, estimates for retirement numbers in the public sector and public service pay bill
and pensions expenditure were based on the pattern of annual retirements where approximately
5,000 to 8,000 staff retire from the public service in any given year. The issue of potential
rehiring costs was not considered.
Thirdly, as I indicated in PQ No. 2468 last month, there is no prohibition on civil or public
servants who have retired under normal circumstances from applying for a publicly advertised
public service post for which they are suitably qualified. However, restrictions on further public
service appointments apply to staff who opted for early retirement under the Incentivised
Scheme for Early Retirement (ISER) as set out in Department of Finance Circular 12/09
(applying to Civil Service) and the Department of Health Circular 7/2010 of 1 November 2010
(applying to the Health Service Executive).
From time to time, retired public servants are engaged by Departments for specific tasks or
assignments. Such engagements are normally remunerated on a fee basis and provision exists
for fees to be abated, where appropriate, by reference to pension payments.
Fourthly, Public Service numbers for the years 2008-2012 are set out in the following table:
Year
Public Service Staff Numbers
2008 319,891
2009 310,277
2010 305,512
2011 297,000 (prov)
2012 294,000 (est)
Policy decisions have not yet been taken with regard to numbers targets for 2013 and 2014.
However, as published in the Public Service Reform Plan, the Government’s Public Service
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