Office refuses to say how many ministers are repaying incorrect pension deductions

Public expenditure minister Jack Chambers told the Oireachtas finance committee a fortnight ago that 10 sitting ministers were yet to start repayments. File photo: Brian Lawless/PA

The National Shared Services Office (NSSO) has refused to confirm how many ministers have entered repayment plans to remedy incorrect pension deductions, citing “privacy and confidentiality”.

Public expenditure minister Jack Chambers told the Oireachtas finance committee a fortnight ago that 10 sitting ministers were yet to start repayments.

It emerged last June that, due to administrative errors at the NSSO, current and previous members of government and several office holders have had incorrect pension deductions applied. Liabilities for ministers ranged from a few hundred euro to over €30,000.

Documentation provided to the public accounts committee on December 24 confirmed that the miscalculation for former and current ministers was €360,000.

Mr Chambers told the finance committee that 34 current ministers were affected by the issues at the NSSO. Of these, two were owed money and 32 owed money back. Ten ministers were still engaging with the NSSO and had yet to set up a payment plan as of January 6, he said.

Spokespeople for housing minister James Browne and arts minister Patrick O’Donovan confirmed to the Irish Examiner last month that both ministers were continuing to work with the NSSO on plans.

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The identity of the other eight ministers was not confirmed, but senior Government sources said there was a “rush” from some ministers to sort out the issue once it became public.

The NSSO refused to confirm if additional ministers had entered repayment plans since Mr Chambers’ appearance at the Oireachtas committee.

It initially said “the majority of individuals impacted have signed up to a repayment plan and work is ongoing by the NSSO to finalise the remaining plans or arrangements”.

GDPR

Asked for an exact number of ministers yet to re-enter plans, the spokeswoman said this could not be disclosed under GDPR.

“Personal matters regarding individual personal pension information, and as such to provide further information on the breakdown of those impacted, would raise matters of privacy and confidentiality,” she said.

When it was pointed out that Mr Chambers had already disclosed how many ministers were impacted, the NSSO did not respond.

Sinn Féin’s finance spokesman Pearse Doherty said it was “unacceptable” that the NSSO was “refusing” to provide information.

"It is truly shocking that the NSSO, the public body that overpaid ministers, and then gave those minsters special treatment when seeking repayment, is now again going out of their way to serve the interest of ministers over the interest of the public by refusing to provide basic information,” he said.

“Refusing to provide updated information on whether these 10 ministers are in a repayment plan is unacceptable."