Senior public servants’ pension top-ups could be snipped by expenditure minister

‘Uniquely Irish’ benefit of up to ten years of free pension service for those who join later in their career is under review

Michael McGrath, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform: pension top-ups to come under scrutiny. Picture: Fergal Phillips

Michael McGrath has promised to review the cost of pension top-ups which can be worth up to €450,000 for senior public servants.

The move by the Minister for Public Expenditure comes after a spending review by his own department of the practice of giving up to ten years of free pension service to senior civil servants, medical consultants, council officials and university academics who join the public service later in their career.

These “added years” ...