Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for raising this issue today, which I will take on behalf of the Minister for Health. As the Deputy has outlined, on 10 March 2020, the Department of Health informed the HSE that, following engagement with the then Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, approval was given under section 52(4) of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 for a temporary waiver of pension abatement for retired health workers who returned to work as critical front-line healthcare staff during the Covid-19 emergency. The purpose of this move was to ensure a sufficient body of staff with key skills was available during such an unprecedented and uncertain time and to support those who answered Ireland's call, who put their well-being on the line and who came out of retirement to do that.

The initial approval for the waiver of pension abatement was granted up to 30 June 2020. However, given the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic and the uncertainty of its future course, the then Department of Public Expenditure and Reform granted periodic extensions to that temporary blanket waiver following regular reviews by the Department of Health and the HSE.

The temporary blanket waiver of pension abatement continued up to 31 March 2021, when the pension abatement policy for the health sector returned to normal in line with other sectors. This, I am informed, was communicated to the HSE on 15 January 2021 by the Department of Health via Circular 1/2021. I am informed that on 22 January 2021, the HSE, in turn, informed all relevant staff, including, but not limited to, all heads of HR in the CHOs, all HR managers in section 38 agencies, all group directors of nursing and midwifery and the director of the National Ambulance Service. I am also informed that in January 2021 communication to impacted workers happened. I appreciate that what the Deputy said here today is it did not happen. That is, however, the information I have with me. I am happy to discuss this further with the Deputy and to raise it directly with the Minister on his behalf.

I point out that in accordance with section 52(4) of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012, the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform may still, at his or her discretion, waive the application of pension abatement subject to certain criteria: that the Minister is satisfied the retired person, or persons, with particular training and experience is required for a particular role, the retired person has the required training and experience and is suitable for employment and there are no other means to meet the requirement other than by the employment of the retired person. The normal rules of pension abatement are that waivers will only be granted in exceptional circumstances for a limited time.

It is crucial that the ongoing recruitment to our health service workforce continues. We cannot rely on retired workers. Exemptions from the principle of pension abatement are not a durable solution and we cannot rely on it in the long term. Following the conclusion of the temporary blanket waiver, requests by HSE for waivers of pension abatement have been considered on a case-by-case basis under normal pension abatement policy rules. These are the rules that apply right across the public service and Civil Service.

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