The ICTU Public Services Committee (PSC), which represents virtually all public service unions, has written to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) to establish the implications for public service pensioners of last week’s pay agreement.

DPER’s response was that the terms of the Garda settlements, which prompted talks that led to last week’s deal, had no impact on pensions currently in payment and, therefore, there would be no benefit to pensioners once the €1,000 LRA payment for serving staff is brought forward from September 2017 to 1^st April.

The PSC says it will pursue this in the negotiations on a successor to the LRA, which are expected to begin in the first half of this year. In the meantime, the PSC intends to liaise with representatives of the Alliance of Retired Public Servants.