Committee Reports > List of Committees > Dáil > 1979 > Committee of Public Accounts > Report - Appropriation Accounts 1976

APPENDIX 6

SUPERANNUATION AND RETIRED ALLOWANCES—EXTRA REMUNERATION

Mr. S. Phelan,

Secretary,

Committee of public Accounts.

A Chara,

When giving evidence to the Committee of Public Accounts regarding the Appropriation Accounts for 1976, I undertook to provide the following information:

Vote 20—Superannuation and Retired Allowances

Qn 42

1. Details of a civil servant on pension who in 1976 received, in addition to his pension, £8,842 from a Vote as remuneration for services rendered.

2. The total of the amounts (exceeding £200) paid from public funds in 1976 to public service pensioners.

The attached note provides the relevant information.

Mise le meas,

S. MAC GAMHNA,

Oifigeach Cuntasaíochta,

Roinn na Seirbhíse Poiblí.

18 Aibreán, 1979.

Vote 20—Superannuation and Retired Allowances

1. Extra Remuneration

The Committee requested details of a pensioner who received £8,842 from public funds as remuneration for services rendered during 1976.

The pensioner was formerly the Official Assignee in Bankruptcy who, in 1972, was relieved of his Official Assignee’s duties and assigned to work whole-time on a new Bankruptcy Bill. A suggested draft of this Bill was incorporated in the Report of the Bankruptcy Law Committee and at the same time a recently published draft EEC Convention on Bankruptcy had to be taken into account.

This officer was due to retire on age grounds in January 1974, but the Department of Justice sought sanction to retain his services. The Department argued that a very considerable degree of expertise was necessary to prepare the Bill and to act as this country’s representative in EEC negotiations and that this officer, who had served for ten years on the Bankruptcy Law Committee, was the only one with the necessary qualifications. The Department went on to point out that, if this work were not seen through to a conclusion, the expenditure already incurred in connection with the preparation of the Bankruptcy Law Committee’s Report might be rendered nugatory. The Department therefore proposed that he should be retained on full salary in addition to his pension.

The officer’s retention has been authorised in the public interest, his salary for his re-employment accordingly amounting to £8,842 in 1976. In view of the circumstances of his retention, the application of subsection (1) of section 1 of the Pensions (Abatement) Act, 1965 (relating to the abatement of a re-employed officer’s pension) has been waived under subsections (2) and (3) of that section.

The need for the continued retention of the officer concerned is reviewed at six-monthly intervals by the Departments of the Public Service and Justice. However, it has not yet been found possible, in view of the scope and complexity of the legislation envisaged and the particular expertise required for preparing it, to make any alternative arrangements which would prove more economical and be not less satisfactory. At this stage, the prognosis is that the officer’s retention will be necessary even into 1980.

2. The Committee also requested to be informed of the total amount paid to pensioners from public funds as extra remuneration (exceeding £200) in 1976.

£288,200 was paid as extra remuneration (exceeding £200) in 1976.