Pádraig O'Sullivan
Question:422. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Education if her Department is aware of the costs associated with a process (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44496/24]
View answerTuesday, 5 November 2024
Questions (422)
Written answers
As provided for under the rules of the relevant pension scheme, in general, public sector employees including teaching and other pensionable employees in the education sector, may apply for retirement pension benefit on medical grounds. In the case of employees on the payroll of my Department, the application process involves a medical assessment by Medmark, the current Occupational Health Service (OHS). This establishes if the person is medically incapacitated and, if so, that the medical issue is likely to be permanent.
The ill health retirement process provides the pension scheme member with an initial assessment from the Occupational Health service provider and there is no cost involved for this initial assessment to the applicant.
In the event the member is deemed not suitable for ill health retirement, the member has the right to appeal this decision. In this instance the member is referred by the OHS to an independent medical practitioner. The OHS have selected a number of independent registered medical practitioners, who are suitably qualified to assess medical fitness for work, to review these appeals. The cost of the medical assessment element of any appeal must be borne by the member. In the event that the appeal is successful the cost will be refunded to the member.