As the Minister is making provision for a further sum for the payment of pensions to resigned and dismissed R.I.C. men, I want to say that I personally appreciate the action of the Minister in setting up this Commission of Inquiry. I hope that its proceedings will be brought to an end as quickly as it is possible, having regard to the fact that a very large number of claims will, I presume, have to be dealt with. I believe the Minister is quite right in his terms of reference; that is, in putting the onus and the responsibility of proving a claim on the person who makes it. I would like to have some information from the Minister as to why the claims, the very small number, I understand, of ex-members of the D.M.P. have been specifically excluded by the terms of reference and why it is that the claims of three or four men, who undoubtedly resigned or were dismissed because of their national sympathies, cannot be heard by this Commission of Inquiry. Could the Minister give the approximate number of claims received since the advertisement dealing with this Committee of Inquiry appeared, state when it is likely the work of the Commission will conclude and whether he can hold out any hope from whatever examination he has made of the claims received previous to the setting up of the Commission, as to the number likely to be disposed of to the satisfaction of the applicants?
Vote 16—Supenannuation and Retired Allowances—(Resumed).
Is it not usual for a Minister, when introducing an Estimate, to give some information about it?
I am sorry.
I do not think Deputy Davin need apologise. This Estimate has already been introduced and we are now resuming discussion on it.
I did not know that.
First of all I should like to say most emphatically that the terms of reference that have been given to the new Committee to inquire into the cases of those who claim they were entitled to pensions by reason of the fact that they resigned from the old R.I.C. on patriotic grounds represent the Government's last word in the matter. With regard to former members of the D.M.P., I should like to say that there never was at any time a promise given to them, equivalent to the undertaking which was given by General Collins, I think, in 1922, to the former members of the R.I.C. The attitude which our predecessors took up in regard to those men was that any of them that were suitable for reinstatement were reinstated in the D.M.P. Accordingly, I do not see any reason why we should now extend the terms of reference of the present Committee so as to embrace what is an altogether separate and distinctive matter.
I am not able to give the Deputy precise figures with regard to the number of cases which the Committee may have to consider, but I should say that prior to setting up the Committee there had been received in the Department statements from at least 700 persons all claiming to have resigned from the R.I.C. for patriotic reasons and all claiming to have been rejected by the Committee of Inquiry set up by our predecessors. I do not know how many of those cases will now come before the Committee, because people will have to make fresh claims, but, in any event, it is clear that as each case will have to be individually investigated it would be impossible for me at the outset of the Committee's inquiry to forecast a date for the completion of the inquiry.
Is the Minister aware that the terms of reference of the Inquiry exclude certain applicants; for instance, the men who surrendered arms in Listowel barracks; and that, simply because they had under three years' service, their cases cannot be considered under the terms of reference? I feel that there is good reason why the claims of these particular applicants, who had under three years' service, should be considered, and I think that some consideration should be given by the Government to the claims of these men.
I was not aware, until the Deputy disclosed the fact, that the terms of reference did exclude the cases of some of the men in the Listowel incident.
Only a couple of them.
As I was saying, I was not aware of it until the Deputy mentioned it, and, therefore, I cannot say anything now beyond the fact that if these people put their cases before me, and if it is found that their case is sufficiently meritorious, I shall be prepared to consider it.