Appleby deal is a one-off, says Howlin

The Government insists there will be no other special arrangements put in place to hold onto senior public servants after striking a retirement deal with the director of corporate enforcement.

Paul Appleby — who is overseeing the State inquiry into Anglo Irish Bank — deferred his retirement until August but will not be subject to lower pensions that come into effect for those who retire from March.

Details of the deal were being finalised last night between officials from the Departments of Enterprise and of Public Expenditure.

A spokesperson said there were no “sticking points” in the talks, but the Government wanted to make sure the arrangements were absolutely legally watertight.

Mr Appleby, 57, will be allowed to retire with a pension based on his pre-cut salary of €150,000 instead of his current €146,000.

This means he will get a lump sum payment of €225,000 and annual pension of €73,000. If he had been subject to the same rules as other public servants not availing of the early retirement arrangement, he would have received a lump sum of €219,000 and a pension of €71,000.

The long-serving public servant had announced his intention on Tuesday morning to retire within weeks.

However, ministers agreed at that morning’s cabinet meeting that everything should be done to keep him to avoid any possible setback to the Anglo inquiry.

A spokesperson for Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin said there was no question of similar arrangements being made for other public servants.

Liam Doran of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation said the arrangement highlighted weaknesses in the Government’s approach to reducing public sector numbers.

“Ordinary people will say Mr Appleby is very important and an essential part in closing the file in relation to how we’ve arrived in this bad state. But people performing critical tasks in the health service are equally important.”

Mr Howlin said three months’ notice for Mr Appleby’s initial retirement plans would have been preferable. Jobs Minister Richard Bruton was told of the plans last Friday but did not tell Cabinet colleagues until Tuesday’s meeting.