I move:—
Go ndeontar suim ná raghaidh thar £1,190,435 chun slánuithe na suime is gá chun íoctha an Mhuirir a thiocfidh chun bheith iníochta i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh lá de Mhárta, 1928, chun Aoisliúntaisí, Cúiteamh, Liúntaisí agus Aiscí Truagha agus Breise fé Reachtanna iolardha; Cúiteamh fé Airtiogal 10 de Chonnra an 6adh Mí na Nodlag, 1921; Liúntaisí Truagha, Aiscí agus Pinsin Bhreise a deonadh ag an Aire Airgid; Tuarastal an Dochtúra Réitigh; agus Iocaíochtanna iolardha i dtaobh Pinsean a íocann an Rialtas Briotáineach fé láthair.
That a sum not exceeding £1,190,435 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1928, for Superannuation, Compensation, Compassionate and Additional Allowances and Gratuities under Sundry Statutes; Compensation under Article 10 of the Treaty of the 6th December, 1921; Compassionate Allowances, Gratuities and Supplementary Pensions awarded by the Minister for Finance; the Salary of the Medical Referee; and sundry Repayments in respect of Pensions at present paid by the British Government.
There is no great change in this Vote, which, as Deputies see, is a very big and important one. Sub-head (A) deals with the ordinary pensions for civil servants who retire in the normal course, except those who retire from the Post Office. Provision is made for Post Office pensions in the Post Office Vote. In sub-head (B) there will naturally be, of course, an increase from year to year. That is for additional allowances and gratuities to established officers retired in the ordinary course. Formerly, officers were awarded pensions based on sixtieths of their salaries, a sixtieth for every year of service up to forty years service. Subsequently legislation was passed which enabled officers, if they so chose, to have their pensions assessed in eightieths, and to be paid a lump sum on retirement. The additional allowances are the lump sums which are payable to officers on retirement, who will be paid eightieths instead of sixtieths. Sub-head (C), as Deputies will see from the wording of the Estimate, is compensation allowances under Article 10 of the Treaty. (D) refers to the additional allowance payable in connection with those pensions under Article 10 of the Treaty. Sub-head (E) is for compassionate gratuities. These are gratuities that are payable to unestablished servants. They are payable under two Acts— either under Section 4 of the Act of 1887, or Section 3 of the Act of 1914. Under Section 4 of the Act of 1887 the gratuity may be granted to unestablished whole-time officers who have had, at least, seven years' service, and whose removal is in consequence of the abolition of their employment, or in order to facilitate improvements and effect economies, or (b) who having had fifteen years' service, retire on becoming incapacitated in mind or body from continuing in employment.
The amount of the compassionate gratuities is £1 or one week's pay, whichever is the greater, for each year of service, so that the amount of these compassionate gratuities, as the Deputies will see, is very small. The second heading under which compassionate gratuities is given is when an officer dies in his employment; a gratuity is given to his dependents. As a rule, payments are made out of these subheads to persons who die or are killed in the execution of their duty. They are only made in exceptional circumstances.
Sub-head (G) contains provision for grants payable under the Workmen's Compensation Acts. Sub-head (H) is self-explanatory, and the same applies to (I). Sub-head (J) represents the payments which are made by way of pensions to resigned and dismissed members of the R.I.C. The number of pensions so far awarded is 543. There may be a few additional pensions awarded still, but the number cannot be large. Sub-heads (L) and (LL) contain provisions for gratuities and pensions to members of the amalgamated police forces. The bulk of the provision in (L) is in respect of the members of the late D.M.P. The provisions under (LL) cover awards under Article 10 of the Treaty to members of the D.M.P. Sub-head (M) deals with repayment to the British Government in respect of civil pensions. This particular sub-head will be steadily decreasing, and, as it decreases, sub-head (A), which represents the pensions that we pay ourselves direct, will increase. Sub-head (N) is a new sub-head, and represents, as the Deputies are aware, 75 per cent. of the pensions payable to ex-members of the R.I.C. The other 25 per cent. is paid by the Northern Government. As I previously explained in the Dáil, this 75 per cent. was based on the average distribution of the R.I.C. during a period of 20 years prior to disbandment.
