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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 26 May 1925

Vol. 11 No. 20

DAIL IN COMMITTEE. - SUPERANNUATION AND PENSIONS (AMENDMENT) BILL, 1925—SECOND STAGE.

I beg to move the Second Reading of this Bill. It is a Bill to enable certain ex-national school teachers to have the benefit of the increase of Pensions Act of 1920, and of the Superannuation Pensions Act of 1923. The Bill covers the same ground as the Bill that was presented by Deputy O'Connell. I had thought of widening its provisions a little so as to allow teachers to have the benefits of this increased pension wherever they were resident. I find, however, that there are certain other classes of pensioners who only get the increase if they live within the British Isles; that is to say, if they live in Great Britain or in Ireland or in the Channel Islands. These are people like pensioned members of the Dublin Metropolitan Police, Petty Sessions' Clerks, and certain pensioners paid from the Church Temporalities Fund, and pensioners under certain non-Government bodies, such as the Port and Docks Board and certain officials under local authorities. It is felt that if we extended the qualification to a world-wide residence qualification in the case of teachers, it would also have to be extended in the case of these other officials. I came to the conclusion, therefore, that we should have the qualification that was proposed in Deputy O'Connell's Bill.

As the Minister says this Bill covers the ground of the Bill discussed here on a former occasion, and I am satisfied it meets the position I wanted to have met. The only people excluded under the provisions of the Minister's Bill, if there be any such, would be those resident outside the Colonies or the Dominions, because the ex-teacher who goes to reside outside, the Colonies or the British Dominions is not eligible for pension at all, so these would be the only people, and I doubt if there are any such. At any rate I am satisfied with the measure as introduced, as it meets the particular point I raised on a former occasion. There is one small point in connection with the matter that I will raise in Committee, or perhaps I might take it up with the Minister. Beyond that I am satisfied that the Bill meets all the points.

Bill read a second time; ordered for Committee, Tuesday, 2nd June, 1925.

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