I move:—
Go ndeontar suim Bhreise ná raghaidh thar £200,000 chun íoctha an Mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh lá de Mhárta, 1938, chun íocaíochta leis an gCuntas Suncála Pinsean (Achtanna um Pinsin do Bhaintreacha agus do Dhílleachtaithe, 1935 go 1937 (Uimh. 29 de 1935 Alt 42 (2) agus Uimh. 11 de 1937, Alt 21)).
That a Supplementary sum not exceeding £200,000 be granted to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending 31st March, 1938, for payment to the Pensions Investment Account (Widows' and Orphans' Pensions Acts, 1935 to 1937 (No. 29 of 1935, Section 42 (2) and No. 11 of 1937, Section 21)).
The Widows' and Orphans' Pensions Act, 1935, provided for the payment into the Pensions Investment Account out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas of a sum of £250,000 per annum for each of the ten financial years beginning 1935-36. This annual sum represented the estimated equalised subvention over the first ten years of the operation of this scheme of pensions established by the Act of 1935 in order to meet the estimated net excess of expenditure over income during that period.
Under the Act of 1937, which considerably extended the scheme of non-contributory pensions, the annual sum of £250,000 was increased to £450,000 for the year 1937-38 and each of the succeeding years. The sum of £200,000 now asked for is to supplement the Vote of £250,000 already made under the Act of 1935, so as to make the full provision for the year 1937-38, required by the Act of 1937.
There are just a few words which I wish to add respecting the working of the Act up to date, and I am giving the position as it stood on the 31st December, 1937. The claims for contributory pensions received amounted to 4,210. Many of these claims were made in respect of persons who were not insured under the Widows' and Orphans' Pensions Acts, and after being formally rejected under the contributory provisions, they were transferred to the non-contributory class. In addition, there was a number of cases where the qualifying conditions for the payment of a contributory pension were not satisfied, and these also were treated as claims to non-contributory pensions. The total number of cases transferred from the contributory to the non-contributory class was 1,877. Out of the remaining 2,333 cases, contributory pensions were awarded in 1,983 cases, and there were 332 cases under consideration. Eighteen claims were withdrawn.
The number of claims received for non-contributory pensions was 36,574. This figure includes 1,877 claims for contributory pensions which were either not properly within the contributory class or which failed to satisfy the qualifying conditions for the grant of contributory pensions. Out of these 36,574 cases, pensions have been awarded in 28,879 cases; pensions were refused in 5,453 cases, 944 claims were withdrawn or deemed to be withdrawn, and there are 1,298 claims under examination.
There are in course of payment 1,929 contributory pensions at a weekly cost of £1,444, and 26,359 non-contributory pensions at a weekly cost of £8,026, a total of 28,288 pensions amounting to £9,470 per week. These represent payments in respect of 27,543 widows and 20,732 dependent children and orphans. Appeals to referees against decisions that pensions were not payable, or were payable at reduced rates, have been received in 5,495 cases. The appeals have been decided in 4,137 cases, and there were still 1,358 cases awaiting decision on the 31st December, 1937.