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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 17 Feb 1943

Vol. 89 No. 5

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Civil Servants' Pensions.

asked the Minister for Finance whether, in view of the recent increases in wages and salaries granted to serving civil servants to meet the increased cost of living, he is prepared to grant increases in the pensions of officers who retired from the Civil Service when the cost-of-living index figure was substantially lower than at present and who are suffering grave hardships by reason of the shrunken purchasing power of their small pensions.

I am unable to hold out any hope of the grant of an increase to pensioners to whom the Deputy refers in view of the continuing substantial addition to the already heavy burden of pension charges which a general concession of this kind would involve.

In view of the fact that certain bonus increases were granted to public employees to compensate them in some small measure for the increased cost of living, and in view of the fact that a number of Civil Service pensioners are trying to exist on very small pensions, will the Minister examine the matter with a view, at least, to granting some concession in the case of persons in receipt of very small pensions, the purchasing power of which has shrunk very considerably because of the very rapid rise in prices?

I am afraid I cannot make any such promise to the Deputy.

Would the Minister examine the position from the standpoint of those in receipt of very small pensions?

Even then, I am afraid that anything that we might be able to do would not make any difference to them.

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