A TOTAL of 277 civil servants, including two assistant secretaries, are to leave under the Government’s new incentivised early retirement scheme, figures released last night show.
The Department of Finance had previously estimated that up to 3,500 staff in the wider public service could leave under the scheme.
The figures, released by the Department of Finance, also show that 39 staff in various State agencies have had their applications to retire early under the scheme approved.
The new scheme, announced several months ago as part of a number of initiatives aimed at reducing the State’s payroll costs, allows eligible civil or public servants over the age of 50 to retire without “actuarial deduction” of pension entitlements. Ten per cent of the relevant lump sum will be paid immediately with the balance paid at the normal retirement age of 60 or 65.
However, for those who apply to retire now, the full lump sum will not be taxed even if the Government introduces such a measure in the future.
The Department of Finance figures show that 480 staff in the Civil Service had applied to leave under the incentivised early retirement programme.
Of the 277 civil servants who have had their applications approved so far, two are assistant secretaries – in the Department of Enterprise and Employment and in the Department of Environment. Five other assistant secretaries had submitted applications to leave but these have not yet been approved.
The department’s figures also show that 34 principal officers in the Civil Service have been given approval to retire early under the scheme. These include six in the Department of the Environment, six in the Comptroller and Auditor General’s Office and five in the Department of Health.
Among those to retire early in the wider public service are eight in the HSE, 15 in Fás and seven in Teagasc. The new figures also reveal that 200 staff in the Civil Service are to leave under a new incentivised career break scheme.
Under the scheme, the Government has offered staff a special payment of up to €12,500 each year if they take a three-year break from their careers. The department said that 603 staff had applied to take career breaks.