I move:—
"Go ndeontar suim bhreise ná raghaidh thar £1,000 chun íoctha an Mhuirir a thiocfidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh lá de Mhárta, 1930, chun Pinscana, Aois-liúntaisí, Cúiteamh, Liúntaisí Truagha agus Breise, agus Aiscí, etc., fé Reachtanna iolardha; Cúiteamh fé Airtiogal 10 de Chonnra an 6adh Mí na Nodlag, 1921; Liúntaisí Truagha, Aiscí agus Pinseana Breise a deonadh ag an Aire Airgid; Tuarastal an Dochtúra Réitigh; agus Aisíocanna iolardha i dtaobh Pinseana a íocann an Rialtas Briotáineach fé láthair, etc.
That a supplementary sum not exceeding £1,000 be granted to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1930, for Pensions, Superannuation, Compensation, Compassionate and Additional Allowances and Gratuities, etc., under sundry Statutes; Compensation under Article 10 of the Treaty of 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, etc."
I think that the only item on this Estimate requiring any explanation is in JJ, an extra statutory pension of £124 16s. This extra statutory pension would be payable to an ex-member of the R.I.C. named Denis Sheehan, who was serving in Belfast, and who gave very considerable assistance to those who were in charge of Oglaigh na hEireann there. He was entirely in sympathy with the national movement, and he would have resigned from the R.I.C. but for the fact that he was persuaded to remain. He remained on until disbandment took place, and he was duly disbanded. He was awarded a pension by the British Government, but afterwards information came into their hands which showed that he had actually been co-operating with the Volunteers in such a way as would have procured his dismissal if the information had come into their hands earlier. They stopped his pension. The position, therefore, was that he had no pension, although if he had resigned he would undoubtedly have been entitled to one.
The pension to which he would have been entitled had he resigned and been pensioned by the Saorstát. Government under the provisions which enabled pensions to be paid to resigned and dismissed members of the R.I.C. amounted to £124 16s. The Saorstát proportion of his British pension which would have been recouped from the British would have been £111 3s., so that there is an additional charge on the Saorstát Exchequer of £13 per annum. The case has been very carefully investigated and the Government have no doubt as to the facts.