Gerard P. Craughwell: Says Post-2013 Pensions Drive Frontline Exodus
Gerard P. Craughwell warned that post-2013 pension arrangements are forcing Gardaí, Defence Forces members, prison officers and fire service personnel to leave frontline roles, leaving many with inadequate retirement income. He said the loss of supplementary pensions after 32 years of service and the expectation that staff find new work in their 50s is unsustainable and called for a ministerial debate.
Tributes and opening remarks
Gerard P. Craughwell began by associating himself with tributes to Brian Crowley and offered sympathies to the Fianna Fáil group and the Crowley family. He said he had never met Mr Crowley but remembered him as a larger-than-life figure, and echoed a colleague's point that disability did not define him.
Meetings with uniformed services
He reported spending the morning with members of the Uniformed Services, including the Fire Service, the Prison Service, Gardaí and members of the Defence Forces. He said frontline members are leaving while still young and fit because the post-2013 pension framework offers no secure future.
Impact on frontline retirement prospects
Craughwell argued that the post-2013 pension changes deny a supplementary pension, leaving personnel who retire in their 50s with paltry sums after 32 years' service. He noted that advice given to these workers has been to seek another job in their mid-50s or early 60s, a prospect he described as unrealistic and demeaning, citing the example of a prison officer forced to sign on at the employment exchange.
Call for debate and ministerial action
He recalled a commencement matter and a civil servant's comment that the post-2013 pension issue needs to be addressed. Craughwell asked that the minister be brought in for a debate and discussion to resolve the matter and concluded his remarks by thanking Cairla.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
I too would like to be associated with the tributes to Brian Crowley. I can see how moved the members of the Fianna Fáil group here in the Senator and my sympathies go to you as the wider family and to the Crowley family. I didn't know the man, I never met him, but any time I ever saw him interviewed or saw him on TV he seemed a larger-than-life character. And as my colleague Victor Boyan said, certainly his disability did not define him. So, er yes, Jay, Goro and Anna. This morning, Leader, I spent the morning with the Uniformed Services, the Fire Service, the Prison Service, the Garda Siakana and members of the Defence Forces. And the post-2013 pension is destroying frontline services. Members of the Gardaí are retiring, or should I say, leaving the force while they're young and fit because there is no future with no pension. Members of the Defence Forces are doing the same. Prison officers, the same. And fire service people. Somehow or other, we have not gotten it into our heads that these people are not capable of working to the age of 66 in the high-stressful environment they work in. They have to retire in their 50s. And denying them the supplementary pension means that after 32 years' service, they come out with paltry sums. And the only advice that's been given to them is, you should go and get another job. Try and get another job in your mid-50s. Or your early 60s, as the case may be in some cases. And the bottom line on it is, I know that we had a commencement matter here. I think you facilitated it yourself in the last government, and one of the civil servants that was here said, you know, you need to get over this post-2013 pension thing. We all have to live with this. They don't have to live with it. Because ordinary members of the public service or civil service can work until retirement age, normal retirement age, where they qualify for the old age pension. Public service or civil service can work until retirement age, normal retirement age, where they qualify for the old age pension. Take a prison officer retiring at 55, 56 years of age, having to go down and sign on on the local employment exchange, where he's likely to find somebody, or she's likely to find somebody, that was in prison. One of their former clients. It's just not good enough. And I wonder, could you get the minister in, and let's have a debate and discussion about this. Thank you very much, Cairla. Thank you very much, Cairla.
Thank you for downloading 🙏
If you publish this material on social media, we would be very grateful if you tagged VideoParliament. It helps us reach more people and keep building a transparent archive of Irish politics.
