asked the Minister for Education whether he is aware that the average annual pension received by the 3,114 retired national teachers in Eire is £132, and that 309 of these pensioners are in receipt of annual pensions not exceeding £52; and whether, having regard to the reduced purchasing power of money consequent upon the considerable increase in the cost of living due to emergency conditions, and to the fact that these pensioners have all contributed to the pension fund, he is prepared to review the pension scales in force with a view to granting substantial increases to assist these pensioners to attain a reasonably comfortable standard of living.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - National Teachers' Pensions.
The figures mentioned by the Deputy were given by me on the 4th June last in a reply to a question and are in respect of the position on the 31st March, 1946. As regards the 309 pensioners who are in receipt of annual pensions not exceeding £52, I should like to point out that that group consists of (a) persons who retired owing to disablement at a comparatively early age and with short service and who were granted disablement pensions, (b) junior assistant mistresses who, by reason of the fact that they were not eligible for pension prior to 1934 and did not therefore make any contributions to the pension fund in respect of service before that date, are entitled to reckon only two-thirds of such service for pension purposes and (c) pensioners including cases of disablement who retired before 1920 and whose pensions therefore were based on the scales in operation before the revised salary scales of 1920 came into effect.
With regard to the latter part of the Deputy's question, careful consideration has been given to the general problem of pension increases but I regret that, owing to the very large number of persons receiving pensions from State sources and the impossibility of selecting a particular class for special treatment, I can hold out no hope of any concession in the direction of an increase.