asked the Minister for Finance whether he is aware that in 1931 the salaries of old age pension clerks were determined by the Revenue Commissioners in relation to a scale of fees fixed by the British Treasury in 1908; whether the salaries of these clerks are, in some cases, as low as £10 per year, and whether representations have been made to him with the view to having the scale of salaries revised, and, if so, whether he will state what steps are being taken to fix for the officers concerned a reasonable scale of remuneration.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Salaries of Pension Clerks.
The answers to the first two parts of the question are in the affirmative. Representations for increased remuneration have been made to me on occasions by or on behalf of individual clerks. The payment of salaries instead of fees was introduced in 1931 following a recommendation by the Committee on Old Age Pensions, which reported in 1925, and the salaries fixed were equivalent to the average annual amounts (rounded up to the nearest 2s. 6d.) paid in fees to the clerks during the three-year period—1st April, 1925, to 31st March, 1928. Under the basis adopted the salaries were directly related to the amount of work required of the clerks, and no considerations have been brought forward which would indicate that the present scale of remuneration is not a reasonable one.