“Only IFUT and TUI proposed doing anything about Public Sector Pension Cuts. INTO and INMO mentioned the cuts in statements. There was no mention of the cuts on Websites of the following bodies: ICTU, SIPTU, ASTI, CPSU, PSEU, IMPACT …” (more)
[Paddy Healy, Indymedia Ireland, 14 December]
“Reports are circulating from reputable journalists that the pension levy on serving public servants is to be extended to retired public servants in the forthcoming budget. As you know, this is just a selective and discriminatory tax and has no bearing on pension …” (more)
[Paddy Healy's Blog, 21 November]
“Over 100,000 retired state workers may be facing a cut in their public-sector pensions in the December budget, the Sunday Tribune has learned …” (more)
[Shane Coleman, Sunday Tribune, 14 November]
“Speculation is mounting that the Government will cut the pensions of existing public service pensioners in the upcoming budget …” (more)
[Stephen Rogers, Irish Examiner, 6 November]
“… The item goes on to say: ‘It also disclosed the public service pensions bill will increase from 0.5% of GNP to almost 2% by mid-century, almost €8bn per annum in current terms. Some commentators have said such a development is unsustainable’. Which commentators? Where? On the basis of what research? …” (more)
[Slí Eile, progressive-economy@TASC, 25 October]
“Staff retiring from University College Dublin are buying back just over three-and-a-half years of their pension before retirement. The news was confirmed by UCD President Hugh Brady in a letter sent to the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee …” (more)
[RTÉ News, 19 October]
“As the Government scratches around to find more than €4bn to reduce the deficit in its forthcoming budget, it has been revealed that the Irish taxpayer is stuck with a €1bn bill to bail-out the pension funds of State agencies like FÁS and public bodies such as the universities …” (more)
[Michael Hennigan, Finfacts, 12 October]
“Public servants recruited from next January will have to make do with a reduced pension and a later retirement age under new pension cutback plans announced by the Department of Finance last week …” (more)
[Martin Frawley, Sunday Tribune, 10 October]
“The total cost of paying public service pensions has risen to €129 billion despite government measures aimed at reducing the soaring pensions bill …” (more)
[Juno McEnroe, Irish Examiner, 16 September]
“Following a good suggestion from Denis O’Boyle who is also a member of the A.S.T.I. Pensions Committee, attached is a one page document with information about public service pensions that can be used to ‘win the argument’, confront politicians or write reply letters to newspapers when writers criticise us our pension arrangements …” (more)
[Seán Fallon, Paddy Healy's Blog, 20 May]
“Pensions were still under threat of budget cuts last night as Brian Cowen refused to guarantee they would be saved from the axe. With ministers seeking €3 billion worth of cuts as the lengthy pre-budget horse-trading begins in Government, the Taoiseach insisted he was not ‘softening-up’ pensioners for bad news …” (more)
[Shaun Connolly, Irish Examiner, 15 May]
“The following quotes from this year’s budget speech are very worrying: ‘The Government has decided … by the end of the year … it will change the calculation of benefits so that pensions are based on “career average” earnings rather than final salary on retirement as at present …’” (more)
[Sean Fallon, Paddy Healy's Blog, 14 May]
“Firstly, word games – and the expression ‘The Croke Park Deal’. As you know it is not a ‘Croke Park Deal’ at all but rather a ‘Croke Park Proposal’. It would only be a deal if the parties involved agreed to it. I think that by calling it a Deal the Government and ICTU are trying to give it more credibility than it deserves in the hope of a yes vote that suits their purposes rather than ours …” (more)
[Sean Fallon, Paddy Healy's Blog, 6 May]
“University chiefs are to be questioned about giving expensive pension top-ups to staff against government advice. The Dáil Public Accounts Committee will ask the college heads to explain why millions of euro were awarded to senior staff and professors in extra benefits last year …” (more)
[Anne-Marie Walsh, Independent, 19 April]
“Professors and senior staff at Irish universities are being gifted ‘free’ pension years at a cost of tens of millions of euros each year to the taxpayer. Despite a directive from the Department of Finance last year to cut back on all discretionary payments to staff, five universities have given 748 free pension years to 200 retiring employees …” (more)
[Sarah McInerney, Sunday Times, 18 April]
“Government representatives were last night said to be tabling proposals on the reform of public sector pensions before the talks with the unions move on to the key issue of how reforms will be measured, and the system for the reversal of recent public sector wage cuts …” (more)
[Scott Millar, Irish Examiner, 30 March]
“Ordinary employees will be obliged to pay a pension tax and work until they are 68 under a national framework unveiled by the Government. The mandatory pension scheme will be introduced in 2014 and involve workers on an average industrial wage of €30,000 per annum paying €18 a week …” (more)
[Conor Ryan, Irish Examiner, 4 March]
“Workers in both the public and private sectors face the prospect of having to stay in their jobs well past the age of 65. The Government plans to increase the pension age in stages, under radical new retirement and pension proposals to be published this week, the Irish Independent has learnt …” (more)
[Charlie Weston and Aine Kerr, Independent, 1 March]
“A double-jobbing college lecturer has been blocked from claiming two pensions after concern was raised over lax governance standards in the third-level system. Engineering lecturer Fergal O’Malley managed to work at the Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) while holding down another lecturing position in NUI Galway …” (more)
[Juno McEnroe, Irish Examiner, 13 February]
“The Government is looking to shave €21bn from the public-sector pensions bill by breaking the link to wage increases. The move is set to be strongly opposed by the 300,000-plus serving public-sector employees and 100,000 retired civil servants …” (more)
[Michael Brennan, Independent, 12 February]
