Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 May 2026
1291. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the position regarding any mechanism in place within his Department that allows for civil servants to transfer on secondment to an equivalent role within the European Union, without negatively impacting their pension and other employment rights; his views on the merits of such a scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34429/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is supportive of staff wishing to work within European Union institutions as part of their career development. Over recent years employees have been seconded to EU institutions through the National Experts in Professional Training (NEPT) scheme and the Secondment of National Experts (SNE) scheme. These secondments provide valuable skills, knowledge and networks for individuals to bring to my Department on their return.
My Department has also facilitated Irish speaking interns being provided with placements in EU institutions in co-operation with the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Council, the Committee of the Regions and the Publications Office. This ongoing scheme is focused on the provision of opportunities for graduates to acquire work placements in the specialist field of translation and proof-reading.
Seconded employees either remain employed by my Department or are seconded to the Department of Foreign Affairs, enabling them to retain their Civil Service pension and other employment rights.
Any permanent move to European Union institutions would be via the relevant competition processes run by those institutions, and relevant staff would then be covered by the pension and other employment rights associated with the specific role. The guidelines for transfers to EU pension schemes are provided by the Pension Policy Unit in the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and are a matter for that Department. Under these guidelines civil servants are not able to transfer pensionable service into an EU pension scheme although a transfer value may be paid in respect of pension rights to certain EU institutions. The transfer value is in the form of a single lump sum payment representing the actuarial value of an individual's accrued preserved benefits from their civil service pension scheme.
