Retired Gardaí must be treated equally – Burke

Gardaí who joined the force pre-1995 should be given the same pension rights as those who joined prior to this date, a Fine Gael Senator has said.

Senator Paddy Burke, who raised the issue this week in the Seanad, said that those who retired post-1995 should not have to sign for jobseekers’ allowance in order to access their full pension.

“In 1995 the state made changes to how public service pensions would be paid. Those who enlisted post 1995 are on a different system, with the Garda pension deemed to include a social welfare element.

“These Gardaí do not retire on the same pension as those who retired prior to this date. They can make up the difference but will have to go on jobseekers’ allowance for 9 months after they retire to bring them up to the same level as the Garda pension for pre-1995 entrants.

“In order to qualify for the supplemental portion of the pension, the member must first exhaust all entitlement under social welfare, so they must sign a declaration saying they are available for work.

“For many retired Gardaí this is a very stressful situation, and they feel that they should be entitled to claim their full, hard-earned pension without having to draw jobseekers’ payment to bring them in line with those who joined the force prior to 1995.

“The GRA has said the first tranche of gardaí who were taken on after 1995 would begin to retire from 2025, so this matter is increasing in urgency. Many members were unaware of this issue until recently and are now unsure of their next steps.

“I’m calling for a review of this system so that those who joined prior to or after 1995 do not have to take jobseeker’s allowance after they retire to make up the difference and all our gardaí feel valued for their years of dedicated service”, concluded Senator Burke.