I move:—
Go bhfuil sé oiriúnach a údarú go n-íocfar amach as airgead a sholáthróidh an tOireachtas pinsin, liúntaisí agus aiscí is iníoctha fé aon Acht a rithfar sa tSiosón so chun an aicme daoine do mhéadú dá bhféadfar pinsin, liúntaisí agus aiscí do dheona fé Alt 5 den Acht Aois-liúntas agus Pinsean, 1923, agus chun a údarú go n-íocfar pinsin, liúntaisí agus aiscí le baintreacha daoine a bhí le linn éaga dhóibh ag fáil pinsean fén Alt san 5, agus le baintreacha daoine áirithe eile ba bhaill de chonstáblacht Ríoga na hEireann agus atá tar éis bháis.
That it is expedient to authorise the payment out of moneys to be provided by the Oireachtas of pensions, allowances and gratuities payable under any Act of the present Session to extend the class of persons to whom pensions, allowances and gratuities may be granted under Section 5 of the Superannuation and Pensions Act, 1923, and to authorise the payment of pensions, allowances and gratuties to the widows of persons who at their deaths were in receipt of pensions under the said Section 5, and to the widows of certain other deceased members of the Royal Irish Constabulary.
The Bill authorises the grant of pensions, allowances or gratuities—
(a) To men who retired from the Royal Irish Constabulary with gratuities on the plea of ill-health, but whose retirement was, in fact, in the opinion of the Committee of Inquiry, caused by national sympathies.
(b) To the widows of men who die while in receipt of pensions granted under the new Act or under the earlier Act of 1923, and to the widows of men who would, but for their death, have been granted pensions under one or other of these enactments.
Under (a) above, in fact, pensions only will be paid. These pensions will commence from the passing of this Act. The scale of pensions will be that laid down in the Royal Irish Constabulary (Resigned and Dismissed) Pensions Order, 1924. The annual charge for such pensions will be at most between £2,000 and £2,500.
Under (b) above, a widow's pension will commence from the date up to which pension was last paid in advance to her husband. Otherwise, a widow's pension will be paid from the date from which a pension would have been paid to the husband if he had survived—i.e., in the case of men under the original Act from the 8th August, 1923, and in the case of men coming under the new Act from the date of the passing of that Act.
The rate of pension for the widow of a constable or sergeant will be £30 a year. Of the 20 pensioners who have died while in receipt of pensions, only five were described as "married" at the date of their application in 1922. Assuming all these five cases satisfy the condition of marriage before the man left the Royal Irish Constabulary the cost of pensions would be £150 a year. The arrears payable are estimated at a lump sum of £450.