53 Mr. Stafford asked the Minister for Finance if he will make arrangements so that semi-State bodies, such as CIE, would operate a system whereby employees could transfer their pension rights when transferring from one semi-State body to another.

A comprehensive Scheme for the transfer of service for superannuation purposes has been operating since 1980. Membership of the Scheme includes the Civil Service, the Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces, National and Secondary Teachers, CIE and most other semi-State bodies. A person transferring between two participating organisations on or after the operative date agreed by the two organisations — which must not be before 1 June 1973 — automatically transfers pensionable service for superannuation purposes. The scheme may also be applied, at the discreation of the final employing organisation, to persons who transferred before the operative date and are still serving on that date and, in so far as pensions are concerned, to persons who retired before the operative date.