asked the Minister for the Public Service if he will give, in as much detail as possible, the precise terms on which public servants with full service retire; and the number of such persons aged 55 and upwards, giving the numbers for each age.

In so far as the question relates to the civil service the position is as follows. Pension for both established and unestablished officers with full service is calculated on the basis of 1/80th, and lump sum on the basis of 3/80ths, of reckonable salary at retirement, for each year of pensionable service. In the case of unestablished officers, salary for the purposes of calculating pension is reduced by twice the personal rate of social welfare contributory old age pension. The maximum service reckonable is 40 years in all cases.

In general, in the case of established officers, pension and lump sum may be paid on retirement at age 60, or at age 65 in the case of unestablished officers. On voluntary retirement before the age at which pension and lump sum may be paid the award is deferred and brought into payment on an uprated basis at age 60 or 65 as appropriate. If premature retirement is due to ill-health, pension and lump sum are paid as from the date of retirement.

On the retirement of established and unestablished officers with full service, the wives, if widowed, are eligible for pensions of one half the amount payable to their husbands, if the latter were members of the civil service contributory widows' and children's pension scheme. A child's pension of one-third of the widow's rate up to a maximum of three children is also payable. Where the widow is dead two-thirds of her rate is payable to the first child and one-third to the second child subject to a maximum of two children. Pensions are revised by reference to pay rates operative on 1 July each year.

As regards the second part of the question the number of officers serving on 1 January 1978 age 55 and upwards with 40 years' service or more is as follows:—

No trouble about a tabular statement there, I see.

22.

asked the Minister for the Public Service when he proposes to introduce equity for retired civil servants in relation to increases on their pensions.

As the Deputy may be aware, public service pensions are revised each year on 1 July by reference to rates of pay then in operation. The question of further improving this arrangement was considered by the Government in the context of the recent budget but in the light of the resources available it was not possible to provide more favourable treatment for these pensioners. The position of the pensioners generally will, of course, be improved by the taxation changes announced in the budget.

Accidentally, I am sure, the Minister misinterpreted the point of my question. I asked about equity and I was talking about times of payment. Is the Minister aware that on 10 June, just before the general election, Deputy Colley wrote in a letter to the pensioners' association that with regard to any increases which would be paid, they—and I quote——

The Deputy may not quote at Question Time.

It would be their intention to achieve a situation of full parity as soon as possible on returning to office. Is the Minister aware that pensioners, most of whom are neither well heeled nor very articulate, are obliged to wait many months longer than their colleagues employed in the public service to get the meagre increases they are awarded? When does the Minister propose to do something about that?

That is still our intention and the matter will not be overlooked. It will be considered again next year.

What is meant by "as soon as possible"? Is it not reasonable to assume that it should have been in the recent budget. Why did not the Minister honour his word?

We did. It is still our intention.

Another broken promise.