Low uptake of early retirement scheme

LESS than 1,400 public servants are set to avail of the Government’s early retirement scheme.

The Incentive Scheme for Early Retirement was announced by Finance Minister Brian Lenihan in last April’s budget as a way of cutting the size of the public service in order to save the state money.

The closing date for applications was October 23, and the department expected that up to 3,500 public servants would seek to avail of the scheme.