Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 January 2026
423. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation to list the roles within public or semi-State organisations under his Department that are excluded from the single public service pension scheme; the number of people employed in those roles, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3623/26]
View answerThe Single Public Service Pension Scheme is a statutory Public Service Career-Average Defined Benefit Pension Scheme. It was established on 1 January 2013 under the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012.
The provisions of the Single Scheme are clearly set out in law. All pensionable public servants hired after 1 January 2013 are members of the Single Scheme. There are a limited number of exemptions to Single Scheme membership set out in the 2012 Act, such as where a member of a pre-existing public service pension scheme leaves such a role and returns to a pensionable public service role within 26 weeks, giving them a right to remain in a pre-existing public service pension scheme. There is no provision in the legislation to allow an eligible employee not to be a member of the Single Scheme.
To be eligible for membership of the Single Scheme, the employee must be a public servant in a public service body and the position must be a pensionable position. Where an individual is appointed to a non-pensionable position and/or where the individual is not a public servant, they will not be members of the Single Scheme.
My Department does not hold the information requested by the Deputy.
