Greetings All – We’d like to update you on what’s been happening
2025 4% Pension increase request by Trustees
I can confirm that the Trustees have applied to the relevant Ministers for a pension increase of 4% this year, with effect from 1 January 2025. This request was made on March 10th. (see letter here from the Trustees of the RTÉSA to our committee)
We have subsequently (April 22nd – see letter here) sent a letter to Minister Patrick O’Donovan to request that there is no undue delay in communicating his department’s support for the 4% increase in pensions proposed by the RTÉSA (RTÉ Superannuation Scheme) trustees.
FYI, we had sent a letter (here) to the Trustees in January of this year, making the argument for a 5% increase. Their response to this request can be seen in their letter above.
It’s reassuring that the Trustees have made this recommendation. Hopefully it will be approved speedily.
Keep an eye out on our website for any developments on this front. https://www.rtersa.ie/
ISCP and Pensions Network
Pre-Budget Questionnaires
Members may be interested in the pre-Budget questionnaires titled ‘General’ and ‘Health’ which are being circulated by the Irish Senior Citizens’ Parliament with a view to crafting pre-budget submissions. The parliament assures us that it’s an anonymous exercise. RTÉRSA has been affiliated to the parliament for almost eighteen months
As stated at the end of each document, the closing date for delivery of completed forms to the ISCP, by email or snail-mail, is the 16th May next.
These questionnaires can be downloaded from the website, https://www.rtersa.ie/
If you don’t have a printer at home, you can bring the website address to your local public library. There you can get the assistance of staff who can help you to download and print the questionnaire. We’re told by ISCP staff that public libraries have a mandate to help on this front and that librarians are generally happy to do so.
Members might wish to complete one, or even both, questionnaires.
Members Concerns
Members have shared concerns about various topics and the committee is presently working on some of these. Please let us know of any other concerns you have that you’d like us to consider trying to address on your behalf – Just email chair@rtersa.ie. and our Chair, Stephanie Fitzpatrick, will ensure the matter is considered by the committee. You’re also free to raise the topic confidentially with Stephanie.
Regular notice to members re deceased colleagues
There is now an ‘In Memoriam’ section on our website – https://www.rtersa.ie/.
We post a notification on the website as soon as possible after we receive notice that one of our former colleagues has died. These notices are subject to confirmation on rip.ie or other published notification.
The RTÉRSA is sometimes informed directly of deaths (and we encourage you to inform us) and the RTÉ Staff Past and Present Facebook page also often has this information on it. https://www.facebook.com/groups/138287099307641/permalink/413335751802773/
The RTÉ Superannuation Scheme (RTÉSA) has also recently undertaken to inform us when they receive notice of the death of one of our former colleagues.
Interest on Credit Union savings
You may recall our recent note here about many of our members expressing concern that, for some years, they’d received no dividends on their savings with RTÉ Credit Union (RTÉCU). This was despite RTÉCU’s operating principle of giving a return on savings and deposits.
On behalf of our members, we wrote to the RTÉCU’s Chairperson, Patrick Kinsella, to ask that the organization consider recommencing the payment of dividends on savings. Please see our letter here.
We received the following response – please see Patrick Kinsella’s letter here.
Best Regards to All
RTÉRSA committee
April 2025
Siobhán Carew, Carole Corrigan, Mairéad de Buitléir, Stephanie Fitzpatrick, Eamonn Galvin, Joe Harris, Phil Healy, Keith Hyland, Joe Little, Tony O’Connor and Vera Sullivan
Please remember to visit our website www.rtersa.ie