Labour Court recommends pension contribution changes at St. Patrick's Hospital

The Labour Court recommended changes to the defined-contribution pension scheme at St. Patrick's Hospital following a dispute with PNA, SIPTU, IMPACT - Inter Union Group. The recommendation was signed on 15 May 2014. The union side said management’s proposals were unacceptable, especially for longer-serving workers, and argued the hospital had resources to increase contributions. The hospital said it lacked funds to address the defined-benefit scheme deficit beyond proposals approved by the Pensions Board. The Court recommended employer contributions of 10% and employee contributions of 4%, with the option for matching voluntary contributions of up to 2% each, bringing the maximum to 12% and 6% if fully taken up. It also recommended that the parties review funding of the legacy defined-benefit scheme every three years.