SPOUSES and CHILDREN’S SCHEME – Motion passed at AGM on 25 May 2017 – UPDATE
Motion passed at AGM on 25 May 2017
Revised Spouses and Children Scheme. That this AGM instructs the Council of the RCPSA to seek a once-off option, for members who retired before 1 April 2011 and entered into civil partnership or same-sex marriage on or after that date, to opt in to the Revised Spouses and Children Scheme, subject to the appropriate repayment of contributions.
The Association wrote to Department of Public Service and Reform (DPER) in relation to this motion in August 2017 and again in January 2018, citing arguments and statistics in support of our proposal, none of which were accepted by DPER.
Separately, the issue was being pursued and discussed in various other fora. In November, 2018 the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Ms Regina Doherty T.D., introduced an amendment to the Pensions Act (as part of the Social Welfare Pensions & Civil Registration Bill 2017) which would benefit same sex couples. This was ultimately passed in December 2018 as Part 3 the Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Act, 2018 http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2018/act/37/enacted/en/pdf
The Association wrote to DPER early this year, with regard to their plans for the enactment of the Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Act, 2018 in respect of public service pensioners. A reply from DPER was received this week to say that the Department is in the process of drawing up a Circular to notify public service pension scheme administrators of the steps to be taken, including arrangements in relation to the notification of pensioners, and for the payment of any member contributions owing, to give effect to Section 27 of the 2018 Act.
17 April 2019
