asked the Minister for Defence if he is aware that considerable dissatisfaction exists among the ex-Connaught Rangers, who were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment for their part in the mutiny in India, at the delay in deciding their claims to pensions; whether he is aware that some of the men are in very necessitous circumstances, and if he will state the cause of the delay in deciding the claims, and when decisions may be expected.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Ex-Connaught Rangers' Pensions.
Every effort has been and is being made to expedite decisions on the applications for awards under the Connaught Rangers (Pensions) Act, 1936, and where satisfactory evidence has been produced regarding military service and imprisonment, awards have already been made.
The delay in deciding claims has been mainly due to the fact that claimants have not realised the necessity of producing satisfactory verification of their military service and imprisonment.
Would the Minister say how many awards have been made, and how many applications on hands have yet to be dealt with?
I do not know how many awards have been made, but a fair number have been dealt with departmentally. I do not know how many awards have gone out.
The Minister must be aware—certainly members of his Party are aware—of the fact that some of those ex-Connaught Rangers are in very necessitous circumstances at the present moment. Could the Minister not do something to expedite decisions in the cases of those who are in specially needy circumstances? Does the Minister appreciate that those persons were sentenced by courtmartial in India; that they were clapped into jail by the British military machine there; and that they were not allowed to get their forms and other evidence such as would be useful to them now? Bearing the circumstances of their imprisonment in mind, would the Minister arrange for some official of his Department to communicate with those applicants, particularly the needy applicants, and tell them precisely what information will satisfy the Pensions Board that they are genuine applicants for pensions? I have here, Sir, if it would be of any assistance to the Minister, a list of the persons who were sentenced for their part in this mutiny, a list of the sentences they received, a list of their names and addresses, and a certificate that the British released them as mutineers. Surely that kind of evidence ought to satisfy a committee of this kind investigating those claims?
The Department is charged by the Dáil to give pensions to Connaught Rangers, not on the basis of need but of service. In order that public moneys may be safeguarded, and in order that the Comptroller and Auditor-General may be satisfied that the Department of Defence did so safeguard them, investigations have to be made and evidence has to be produced which will satisfy the committee that the applicants were in fact members of the Connaught Rangers, that they did mutiny and did suffer imprisonment. We are doing our utmost to speed the matter up. We know the difficulty that claimants have in regard to papers, and we do not insist on those, but they have to produce evidence which will satisfy the committee and the Comptroller and Auditor-General that they did, in fact, serve.
Could the Minister not ask the British Government for copies of the records of courtsmartial?
That is another question.
He has already done so.
I am sure the Minister is not unsympathetic in this matter, but might I point out to him that the continued delay in dealing with some of those claims is causing considerable hardship? Will the Minister endeavour personally to expedite decisions in those needy cases where the applicants satisfy the requirements of the Statute passed by this House?
We are doing our utmost in that way, and some of the claimants themselves are to blame for spending their time kicking up a row instead of co-operating with the committee.