Pensions

The Education Sector Superannuation Scheme (ESSS) is a ‘pay as you go’ public sector scheme. It is a defined benefit scheme. This means that superannuation awards are based on years of service and final salary at retirement.

The ESSS consists of a main scheme and a Spouses’ and Children’s Scheme. Contributions are payable as follows:

The main benefits of the scheme are retirement and death benefits. At retirement, scheme members will receive a superannuation award consisting of a tax-free lump sum and an annual pension. Staff, who are considered to be existing entrants, may retire any time after their 60th birthday. Subject to eligibility, staff may now also avail of the option to take Cost Neutral Early Retirement from the age of 50 (details of this option are also available on this website). Under the terms of the pension scheme the compulsory retirement age is 70 and scheme members must retire on the 31st August following their 70th birthday.

However, in the case of new entrants, the minimum retirement age is 65 and staff members deemed to be new entrants may avail of Cost Neutral Early Retirement from age 55 only.

Under the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004, the standard minimum retirement age for new entrants i.e. those who join the public sector on or after 1st April 2004, has been raised from 60 to 65, and the link for new entrants between age and compulsory retirement in the University has been abolished.

Generally, a new entrant is a staff member who commenced employment in the public sector (or who recommenced service following a 26-week break in service) after 1st April 2004.

The Single Public Service Pension Scheme was introduced for new entrants who joined the public sector for the first time on or after 1st January 2013. It is 'a pay as you go' scheme based on career averaging. Pension awards are based on referrable amounts for pension and lump sum accrued for each year of service combined and uprated with annual CPI increases.

Contributions to the Single Scheme are payable at 3.5% of nett pay and 3.00% of gross pay. The minimum retirement age for Single Scheme Members is age related, and linked to the qualifying age for the State Contributory Pension which is 66, 67 or 68. The maximum retirement age in the Scheme is 70. Further information on the qualifying age for the State Contributory Pension can be obtained from the Social Protection Website.

The Single Public Service Pension Scheme rules are set out in the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 (“2012 Act”), with additional information available on the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) website.

The Pensions Section is responsible for the administration of all aspects of the Pension Schemes which are in operation in the University. The range of services we provide include the following:

1. Calculating superannuation awards for retiring staff (and for eligible surviving dependants after the death of a scheme member).
2. Providing pension estimates to retirement dates (This includes estimates to a voluntary early retirement date, compulsory retirement date, for death-in-service, grounds of ill-health retirement and cost neutral early retirement).
3. Providing quotations on the cost of purchasing Notional Service.
4. Transferring previous public sector service to SETU and to other bodies.
5. Processing applications under the Professional Added Years scheme.
6. Providing courses to help scheme members plan for retirement.
7. Reckoning pre-entry service (i.e. part time and temporary wholetime service given prior to admission to the scheme).
8. Providing information on request to scheme members.
9. Enforcing and administering pension adjustment orders.
10. Providing information on entitlements to staff members at cessation of employment (refunds of contributions, transferring service out, calculating preserved benefit awards).
11. Issuing annual benefit statements to staff members.

Certain part time and contract staff are eligible for admission to the pension scheme.

The Commission on Public Service Pensions, as part of its terms of reference, had regard to claims for improvements to pension arrangements for part-time public servants, particularly with regard to access to pension schemes and with regard to the method of integration of occupational pensions with Social Insurance benefits.

The Commission on Public Service Pensions, in its Final Report, recommended that access to public service pension schemes should be granted to public servants in part-time work provided that they are in regular or quasi-permanent employment and that they work a certain minimum number of hours per week. This recommendation was overtaken by legislation and a legal basis for access to pension schemes for part-time employees was provided with effect from 20 December 2001 by the Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act 2001.

Existing Arrangements

Following discussions with the education partners under the Programme for Competitiveness and Work it was agreed that temporary wholetime service and certain part-time service as a lecturer in an Institute of Technology, (IOT), will become pensionable on an ongoing basis with effect from 1 September 1996. Circular Letter Pen CL-Pen1602 was issued to give effect to these provisions of that Agreement.

• Admission of Lecturers in Institutes of Technology to the Education Sector Superannuation Scheme (formerly included in the Local Government Superannuation Scheme) – CL-Pen1602
• Non-Academic Staff: Circular Letter Pen 1/03 deals with the admission of temporary wholetime non-academic staff to the Education Sector Superannuation Scheme.
• Admission of Temporary Wholetime Officers, other than Lecturers, to membership of the Education Sector Superannuation Scheme (formerly included in the Local Government Superannuation Scheme) - Circular Letter Pen 1-03.

Revised Arrangements

Circular Letter 0025/2008 – Public Service Pension Reform Revised arrangements for certain part time public servants

The Minister for Finance has announced the introduction of a change in the way in which the service and remuneration of part-time public servants are to be reckoned for pension calculation purposes. The effect of the change will be that all eligible part-time public servants will have their occupational pensions calculated on the basis of pro rata service and a notional full-time salary. There will be a corresponding change in the method of calculating contributions where relevant. The change will result in a difference in pension benefit and contribution level for part-time public servants whose pensions are integrated with social welfare benefits (i.e. where the occupational pension is integrated with the State Pension (Contributory) to provide a combined pension. The State Pensions (Contributory) (or SPC for short) is formerly known as the Old Age Contributory Pension (OACP).

The opportunity is being taken to refer again to the Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act 2001 in Circular Letter 0025/2008 and its implications for pension arrangements and to clarify certain issues concerning access to pension schemes and reckon ability of previous service.

Circular Letter 0025/2008 was issued in May 2008 to give details of the revised arrangements

• Circular-Letter-0025-2008

Circular Letter 0062/2014 was issued on 1st September 2014. This circular amended CL0025/2008 and provided for revised timelines for the payment of contributions due for previous service and timelines for opting into the revised arrangements. The Pensions Team will be contacting affected staff members in 2014/2015 with information on their pension options.

• CL0062_2014 - Implementation of Pension Arrangements for Part Time Employees

Personal tax relief may be allowed on aggregate annual contributions, including purchase of notional service and AVCs (Additional Voluntary Contributions) subject to the following limits and age at any time during the year of assessment:

There is a limit on earnings which may be taken into account for tax relief. This limit is €115,000.

Under the scheme for purchase of notional service operating in the University, a person may (subject to certain limits) opt to purchase additional years of service.

For those staff already purchasing service by periodic deduction from salary who may wish to increase their contributions, a further option may be made which would take effect from their next birthday.

For further information please contact staff in the Pensions Section of the Human Resources Department.

The Finance Act 2006 introduced a limit on the value of and individual's pension fund which may attract tax relief and this may vary from year to year. This is called the Standard Fund Threshold (SFT). With effect from 1st January 2014 the absolute value of the SFT reduced to €2million.  If the fund is greater than the limit then tax at the higher rate (40% in 2015) will be charged on the excess when it is drawn from the fund. The value of defined benefit funds differ depending on the age which the pension is drawn down. For further information on the SFT please see Revenue's Website.

Since 1st January 2011 there is a limit of €200,000 on the amount of the tax-free retirement lump sum. Lump sum payments above that limit will be taxed as follows:

Normal PAYE provisions apply to SETU Pensions in payment. For further information on PAYE please visit Revenue's Website.

Additional Voluntary Contributions

An AVC is an investment option to allow people to save for retirement. This is a private arrangement made with a financial services company. SETU can facilitate deductions from salary in respect of AVCs plan taken with Cornmarket Group Financial Services Ltd.  If you wish to contact Cornmarket to obtain further information on the AVC plans that they offer you can contact them at 01 408 4025 or visit their website at www.cornmarket.ie.

Under the terms of the Education Sector Superannuation Scheme, previous service with other public sector organisations which operate on the Public Sector Transfer Network such as the Civil Service, the Garda Siochana, the Teaching Sector and certain other state or semi-state bodies, may be transferred to SETU.

If you wish to investigate the possibility of transferring your previous experience to our pension scheme you should contact the Pensions Section and provide details of your previous service i.e. name of your employer, type of service (permanent, temporary, part time etc), date of service and any other relevant information.

Please be aware that a maximum of 40 years service can be reckoned for pension purposes.

Presently it is not possible to transfer previous service from existing public sector schemes to the Single Public Service Pension Scheme. 

The Pensions (Amendment) Act 2002 provides that an employee may use their beneficial interest in a private occupational pensions scheme to purchase notional service by lump sum.

The rules of the notional service purchase scheme are outlined in Circular Letter S.8/90 containing the original provisions of the scheme and Circular Letter 0125/2006 containing revised provisions to the scheme and revised rates.

The Education Sector Superannuation Scheme is registered with the UK Customs and Revenue as a "Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme". Therefore, transfer values can be accepted from certain UK schemes in the same manner as transfers from Irish private sector scheme (as outlined above).

The Pensions Section in conjunction with Retirement Planning Council of Ireland run a number of Planning for Retirement seminars each year.  The Planning for Retirement Seminar is a two-day course, which aims to promote a holistic approach to retirement planning where financial preparation is not the only focus. The course is designed for people who are approaching retirement.  It is best undertaken about 18-months before the actual retirement date.  You can register you interest in attending this course by contacting the Pensions Section.

The Pensions Section will contact all staff members due to retire on a compulsory basis approximately 6-months before retirement date. Retiring staff members will also be invited to attend the annual retirement seminar in advance of their retirement. 

Staff members who wish to retire on a voluntary basis or cost neutral basis should contact the pensions team for details of the retirement options available.                           

Staff in Waterford Campus: [email protected]

Staff in Wexford/Carlow Campus: [email protected]

This facility allows members of the Education Sector Superannuation Scheme to retire from age 50 (or age 55 in the case of new entrants) with actuarially reduced superannuation benefits. This facility will be made available to serving staff and the option will be extended to staff who resigned with an entitlement to preserved superannuation benefits as and from 01-April-2004.

The benefits payable to a scheme member who opt to retire under this scheme at age 58 are illustrated in the below example. The scheme member is this example of an officer who is an existing entrant and pays D rate PRSI contributions i.e. who will receive a non-coordinated award.

EXAMPLE: Retirement at age 58

A person to whom a non-coordinated pension is payable, with a preservation age of 60, retires on his/her birthday.

• Final Annual Salary: €50,000
• Age: 58    
• Reckonable Service:  40 years

Superannuation Benefits

• Calculation of preserved Lump Sum: 3/80 x €50,000 x 40 = €75,000
• Calculation of preserved Pension: 1/80 x €50,000 x 40 = €25,000

Further examples of the benefits payable to staff members who opt to retire under this scheme are available in the appendices of Circular Letter Pen 05/05.

To view all the provisions of this scheme please refer to: Circular Letter Pen 05-05

You should note that staff members must apply in writing to retire under the Cost Neutral Early Retirement scheme, as specified in paragraph 13 of the Circular Letter, applications will be considered in light of business needs. 

One of the key determining factors used to calculate a scheme members superannuation award at retirement is years of service. The concept of notional service is to allow members of pre-existing scheme, subject to certain conditions, to purchase additional years of reckonable service thereby increasing their superannuation entitlement. The cost of purchasing notional service is calculated using actuarial rates which are based on a person’s age at their next birthday and the rate of PRSI a person pays i.e. Class A or Class D. There is a facility to purchase additional retirement benefits towards pension and/or lump sum in the Single Public Service Pension Scheme. 

Full details of the Notional Service Purchase Scheme for the Education Sector Superannuation Scheme are contained in the following Circular Letters:

• Department of Environment Circular Letter S890 NotionalService (Original Scheme)
• Department of Education Circular Letter 0125-2006 (Revised Scheme w.e.f. October 2006)

Some of the key points of the notional service scheme are highlighted below. However, you should read and note all the rules of the scheme as outlined in Circular Letters S.8/90 and 0125/2006 before entering a purchase agreement.

• In order to purchase notional service you must have 9 years actual or potential service. This includes future/potential service to retirement age (or contract end date for contract staff), actual service (i.e. service already given) and service transferred to SETU from another body on the Public Sector Transfer Network.
• You can only purchase your shortfall of service to a maximum of 40 years service at age 60 or age 65 as appropriate.
• Notional service can be purchased with reference to age 60 or age 65 only. Those members of the scheme who are deemed to be new entrants (i.e. generally those who joined the public sector on/after 01-April-2004) can only purchase notional service with reference to age 65. The rates for purchasing to age 60 are higher than those that apply to purchases to age 65 as purchases are made over a shorter period of time.
• Notional service can be purchased by lump sum or periodic deduction.
• Lump sum deduction, is the payment of one amount based on the person’s salary at the time of the purchase and the rate is based on their age next birthday and class of PRSI (A or D). Staff may make one lump sum purchase in any calendar year subject to a minimum payment of 10% of annual full-time salary (unless a lower amount is needed to provide for 40 years reckonable service).
• Purchases by periodic deduction are paid for as a deduction from salary. This deduction is percentage based therefore as a person’s salary increases the amount deducted will increase proportionately. An option to purchase service by periodic deduction may be made at the time up to age 63 years with reference to age 65 and up to age 58 with reference to age 60, subject to certain conditions.
• Tax relief is allowed on annual aggregate superannuation contributions as a percentage of a person’s gross salary. Tax relief is allowable from a minimum of 15% to a maximum of 40% of remuneration based on a person’s age. Part of this tax relief is already applied to a person’s annual contributions to the pension scheme. The remainder is allowable on repayment of contributions due for previous service, purchase of notional service or contributions to an AVC scheme or other authorised pension products. Tax relief for purchases of notional service by periodic deduction is applied at source but for lump sum purchases the Pension Section will provide a statement of the cost of purchase which must be submitted to Revenue.

In order to exercise the option to purchase notional service you must notify the pensions section in writing clearly stating the option you wish to exercise i.e. the reference age and purchase method (either lump sum or periodic deduction).

Single Public Service Pension Scheme - Purchase Facility

Any scheme member who is interested in purchasing additional benefits must complete the Expression of Interest Form and email a scanned copy to [email protected] or [email protected]

The Pensions (Amendment) Act 2002 requires the University to have a Personal Retirement Savings Account (PRSA) in place for staff who are not in a pensionable position – or whose pensionable status is currently under review.  With this in mind, the University has appointed Cornmarket Financial Service as our designated PRSA provider. If it later transpires that any such staff are not excluded, it will be open to them, in accordance with the rules of the PRSA Scheme, to transfer the PRSA assets to the Education Sector Superannuation Scheme.

A PRSA is a contract between an individual and the authorised PRSA provider in the form of an investment account that can be used to save for retirement.  Contributions made are tax deductible, are for your benefit, and are owned by you throughout your life.  It is very important to plan your retirement finances effectively and this new type of private pension plan gives staff a valuable opportunity to do so. You can pay as much as you wish into your PRSA and your contribution will be taken directly from your salary and paid to a PRSA on your behalf on a monthly basis. This will ensure that you can avail of the valuable tax relief on contributions immediately.

If you would like further information on PRSAs or wish to arrange a meeting with Cornmarket’s Financial Planning Advisor, please contact the Pensions Section of the Human Resources Department for details.

For further information on the University's obligations as an employer please see Circular Letter Pen 13-03

This scheme may be availed of by staff who, because of the minimum qualifications and experience requirements pertaining to the post to which they were recruited, are not in a position to attain 40 year's service by age 65.

The original Professional Years S887 scheme was introduced under Department of Environment Circular Letter S.6/87.

The Scheme was subsequently amended under Circular Letter Pen 23/05. The amended scheme provides for a potential award of added years to be determined by the formula:19 (base age) + Qualifications + Experience - 25

A revised Professional Added Years Scheme for new entrants was introduced for those recruited to the public service from a competition advertised on or after 01.04.2005. The revised scheme replaces all existing scheme in the case of new entrants. Full details of this revised scheme are available in:

• Circular Letter PEN 0305 Professional Added Years - New Scheme for staff recruited from competitions advertised on or after 01 April 2005.

Applications for PAY's can only be made at retirement. Should you wish to make an application under this scheme you must complete the Application Form and Appendix 3 and return it to the Pensions Section in your Campus.

You should note that this award cannot be formally sanctioned until Cessor of employment i.e. retirement.

The Single Public Service Pension Scheme (“Single Scheme”) commenced with effect from 1 January 2013. All new entrants to pensionable public service employment on or after 1 January 2013 are, in general, members of the Single Scheme. The Single Scheme is a statutory pension scheme and is a non-funded ‘pay as you go’ public sector pension scheme. The Scheme operates on a Career Averaging basis and provides retirement and contingent benefits for its members. Membership of the Scheme is compulsory for staff members of the University who are eligible to join it.

Retirement Benefits refers to any payment arising under a pension scheme, payable to the member or to others, at or following retirement. This includes retirement pension and lump sum gratuity and any survivors’ pension payable following death in retirement.

Contingent Benefit refers to any benefit payable under a pension scheme when a member dies in service. This includes the lump sum gratuity and any survivors’ pension payable following death in service.

The rules of the Single Pension Scheme are in Statutory Instrument No. 37 of 2012 - PUBLIC SERVICE PENSIONS (SINGLE SCHEME AND OTHER PROVISIONS) ACT 2012 and further details of this scheme are available in Circular 19 of 2012 - Commencement of Single Scheme.

A commencement order in respect of Chapter 4 of the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme & Other Provisions) Act 2012 became fully operational from the 1st November 2012. The provisions of Chapter 4 will apply to members of pre-existing public service pension schemes. 

Chapter 4 of the 2012 Act introduces the following changes to the rules of all pre-existing public service pension schemes:

1. There is a 40-year limit on pensionable service* accrued in public service schemes (the limit will apply whether service is accrued within one scheme or across multiple schemes) [Section 52 of the Act].
2. Pension abatement has been extended and will apply where a staff member is re-employed in any part of the public service after retirement [Section 52 of the Act].
3. The Act provides for the reduction or refusal of retirement benefits in certain cases involving the dismissal of a scheme member [Section 53 of the Act].
4. The Act limits the payment of multiple survivor’s pensions to one individual [Section 54].

The Act also imposes a number of duties on members, specifically to make declarations and provide information. It further authorises the use of a member’s PPSN as a method of identification. [Section 49-51]. In practical terms, these changes means that scheme members will now be required to make a declaration on taking up employment or applying for a benefit from a public service pension scheme.

Further information on the Single Public Service Pension Scheme is available from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

Staff members who joined the public sector for the first time (or rejoined the public sector after a 26-week break in service) after 1st January 2013 are members of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme. 

The non-officer booklets apply to the majority of maintenance staff and the officer booklets apply to all other staff. A brief description of who each booklet applies to is set out below.

Revision Scheme: Non-Officers Paying Full (Class A) PRSI who are not New Entrants i.e. those who joined the Public Sector before 1st April 2004 and have remained in public sector employment since their start date.

ESSS Explanatory Leaflet No 1 - March 19 

Revision Scheme: Officers Paying Modified (Class D) PRSI who are not New Entrants i.e. those who joined the Public Sector before 6th April 1995 and have remained in public sector employment since their start date.

ESSS Explanatory Leaflet No 2 - March 19

Revision Scheme: Officers Paying Full (Class A) PRSI who are not New Entrants i.e. those who joined the Public Sector between 6th April 1995 and 31st March 2004 and have remained in public sector employment since their start date.

ESSS Explanatory Leaflet No 3 - March 19

Revision Scheme: Non-Officers Paying Full (Class A) PRSI who are New Entrants i.e. those who joined the Public Sector on or after 1st April 2004.

ESSS Explanatory Leaflet No 4 - March 19

Revision Scheme: Officer Paying Full (Class A) PRSI who are New Entrants i.e. those who joined the Public Sector on or after 1st April 2004.

ESSS Explanatory Leaflet No 5 - March 19

Ill Health Retirement - Enhancement of Benefits in cases of Ill Health Retirement under the Single Public Service Pension Scheme.

This Guidance Note confirms how retirement benefits are to be calculated if a member of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme is retired/discharged on medical grounds.

Death in Service Payments and related Survivor’s and Children’s Pension issues under the Single Public Service Pension Scheme.

This Circular confirms how death benefit entitlements are to be calculated and paid for serving and former (vested) members of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme.

This Circular confirms how early retirement benefits are to be calculated on a cost-neutral basis for members aged at least 55 years of age availing of voluntary early retirement under the Single Public Service Pension Scheme.  It specifies the actuarial reduction factors to be applied to a member benefits with reference a member’s normal retirement age (66, 67 or 68 years of age) and the date of their actual early retirement.

Circular Letter 0062/2014 was issued by The Department of Education and Skills on 1st September 2014. This circular amends Circular Letter 0025/2008 and provides for revised timelines for payment of contributions due and revised timelines for making a pension option for certain part time staff. 

Full details Circular Letters CL0062/2014 and CL0025/2008 are below. 

• CL0062_2014 - Implementation of Pension Arrangements for Part Time Employees
• Circular-Letter-0025-2008

The following notice outlines the changes made to the Standard Funding Threshold in Budget 2014 and the implications for members of the Institute's pension schemes.

SFT Budget 2014 Letter Issued

Pensions Notice Standard Funding Threshold - Updated Notice

Circular Letters and Policies

• The terms of the Education Sector Superannuation Scheme are contained in Statutory Instrument No. 290 of 2015 – Education Sector Superannuation Scheme, 2015
• The terms of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme are contained in Statutory Instrument No. 37 of 2015 - The Single Pension Scheme and Other Provisions Act 2012

The following Circular Letters have been issued by the Department of Education since December 2002:

Pen 16/02 – Admission of temporary wholetime and eligible part-time lecturing staff to the pension scheme

Pen 01/03 – Admission to temporary wholetime officers other than academic staff to the scheme

Pen 08/03 – Tax relief on contributions payable at retirement

Pen 13/03 – Personal Retirement Saving Accounts (PRSA’s)

Pen 04/04 – New Entrants to the public sector from 01.04.2004: raising the minimum pension age to 65 and abolition of maximum age for retirement

Pen 10/04 – Admission of Institutes of Technology to the Public Sector Transfer Network

Pen 03/05 – Professional Added Years – New Scheme for staff recruited from competitions advertised on or after 01-Apr-2005

Pen 05/05 – Introduction of Cost Neutral Early Retirement Scheme

Pen 23/05 – Professional Added Years – Amendment to the Original (1985) Scheme

Circular 0053/2006 - Finance Act 2006 – Certain Pensions Implications for public service employers (in relation to officers with very high earnings)

0087/2006 – Crediting of part time lecturing service given before 01-Jan-1993

Notional Service -Revised Scheme-Circular Letter 0125/2006 – Notional Service – Revision of the scheme

Department of Finance Circular 19/05- Public Service Pension Reform: Revised method of calculation of pension entitlements for public servants whose pensions are integrated with social welfare benefits.

024/2008 - Credit of service given by persons who are not fully qualified and who are employed by Vocational Education Committees or Institutes of Technology to teach or lecture.

0025-2008 – Public Service Pension Reform Revised arrangements for certain part time public servants.

Pension Reform - Revised Method of Reckoning Variable Allowances for Pension Purposes.

0039/2009 - Payment of superannuation contributions in respect of previous temporary wholetime & part time service by fully insured (Class A PRSI) registered officers

Note: References to "spouse" in the above documents should be read as "spouse or civil partner". Similarly references to "marriage" should be read as "marriage or civil partnership".