Greetings All – We’d like to give you an update on what’s been happening.
Pension increases
The 4% pension increase, backdated to January 2023, will be reflected in pensions paid at
the end of April.
We will be initiating inquiries soon about an increase for 2024 (consideration for an
increase is normally only given when the actuarial report for the previous year is
available).
The 2022 actuarial report for the scheme indicates that the scheme can afford a 4%
increase annually. However, if the Trustees request an increase, it will be subject to the
long approval process through government departments once again.
FYI, both the Annual financial report, and the Actuarial report are available to any
member who writes into the RTÉSA requesting same.
Pension Advice from experts
At present we are seeking advice from pension experts on the following questions:
- Given custom and practice, is there an automatic entitlement to reflect public service and/or RTÉ employee wage increases in RTÉSA pensions?
- Depending on the answer to the above, does the entitlement to an increase depend on affordability within the scheme?
- Is there an obligation on the Minister for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) to make a timely decision regarding an increase?
Admin Costs Battle
Further to the letter received from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht,
Sport and Media (TCAGSM) on 16th Feb 2024 (posted on RTÉRSA website), we sent a
note to Minister Catherine Martin’s office seeking further clarity on the status of the
regulation change request. We have now received a more definitive reply – see here.
For the moment, we intend to take no further action on this, but we’ll keep a watchful eye
out for any changes that might result in any raid on our funds.
Pensions Network update
Since last year, RTÉRSA has been affiliated to The Pensioners’ Network of the Irish
Senior Citizens’ Parliament. The ISCP, which represents half a million pensioners in the
republic, has backed the Network’s campaign for the government to give pensioners’
representative bodies a seat at the negotiating table whenever employers and trade unions
are discussing alterations to pensions. Unfortunately, there are numerous examples of
raids on pensions in payment, most notably at Aer Lingus, the major airports and the ESB.
The Network continues to support Deputy Bríd Smith’s Private Member’s Bill of 2021
which would give our representatives the right to seek the intervention of the Workplace
Relations Commission in such circumstances. Currently, this right is only available to
individual pensioners and only for six months after retirement if the grievance relates to
an issue that arose while the pensioner was still in employment.
On Saturday, the 6th April 2024, despite Storm Kathleen, a dozen Network representatives
lobbied the Fine Gael Ard Fheis at the University of Galway. The skeleton delegation
succeeded in focusing the attention of a number of local and European election candidates
on the government’s continuing opposition to Deputy Smith’s Bill.
NB: Date for Your Diary
On Tuesday the 28th May 2024, the Irish Senior Citizens’ Parliament will host a public
meeting in Dublin city centre to highlight our support for Bríd Smith’s Bill. Details of the
precise time and venue will be circulated soon and will be posted on this website.
So if you want to end the ageist discrimination against pensioners imposed by the Industrial
Relations Act of 1946, please keep the 28th May free to make your voice heard before the
elections of the 7th June.
Our predecessors could not win public support in 1946, but we can now!
AGM!
May we take this opportunity to ask you to set aside this date – 7th November 2024.
The venue will be the Talbot Hotel, Stillorgan, and the meeting will begin at 11am.
Further details will be communicated at a later stage.
If you have any questions, please send them to rtersa2018@gmail.com