65 pension top-ups at NUIG and GMIT
Galway Bay fm newsroom - 65 leading academics and senior managers who retired from Galway third level institutions in the last three years received pension top-ups.
According to today's Sunday Independent, 58 senior staff members at NUI Galway and seven at GMIT received top-ups since 2010.The scheme is governed by a 1987 Department of Education rule, which allows applicants who have not accumulated the maximum 40 years of service to receive a maximum top-up worth ten years of pension payments.16 retiring NUI Galway staff members received top-ups in excess of five years- while two received top-ups worth more than 9 years of pension payments.Documentation has also revealed that a payment of over 16 added years was awarded by way of a spouse's pension.Over 520 top-ups were paid out at universities and ITs across the country- and these are estimated to add up to 'tens of millions of euro.' Education Minister Ruairi Quinn and Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin are expected to be brought before the Public Accounts Committee to explain their decision to sanction the pay-outs.