I move:—
That a sum not exceeding £516,734 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending the 31st day of March, 1949, for Wound and Disability Pensions, Further Pensions and Married Pensions, Allowances and Gratuities (No. 26 of 1923, No. 12 of 1927, No. 24 of 1932, No. 15 of 1937, No. 2 of 1941, No. 14 of 1943, and No. 3 of 1946); Military Service Pensions, Allowances and Gratuities (No. 48 of 1924, No. 26 of 1932, No. 43 of 1934, No. 33 of 1938, No. 5 of 1944, and Nos. 11 and 34 of 1945); Pensions, Allowances and Gratuities (No. 37 of 1936); Payments in respect of Compensation for Members of the Local Defence Force (No. 19 of 1946); and for sundry contributions and expenses in respect thereof, etc.
The sum of £775,100 set out in the Army Pensions Vote represents the estimated cost for the financial year, 1948/49, of certain pensions, allowances and gratuities authorised by various statutes and schemes passed or confirmed from time to time by the Oireachtas during the past 25 years. These statutes and schemes are 22 in number, seven pertaining to Army pensions, seven to military service pensions, two to Defence Force pension, one to the Connaught Rangers, three to Defence Force pensions schemes and two schemes to the Local Defence Force. It is not, therefore, possible to increase or decrease the amounts of pensions, allowances or gratuities payable without an alteration by the Oireachtas of the statutes or schemes passed or confirmed by both Houses.
The 13 subheads set out in detail how the total sum of £775,100 is made up, but it may not be amiss to summarise in brief those details. Sub-heads A and B deal with the Army Pensions Board and its civilian staff. The board itself is a statutory body set up at first by the Army Pensions Act of 1927 and continued by subsequent Army Pensions Acts. It comprises two medical doctors and a civilian chairman without medical qualifications, and its function is to determine on medical evidence the claims of applicants by assessing their degree of disablement and its findings are deemed by the 1937 Act "to be final and conclusive and binding on all persons and tribunals whatsoever." The total under these sub-heads for salaries, wages, allowances and expenses of the board and its staff is estimated at £4,553 during this financial year. During the past 11 months the board has dealt with 1,351 cases. Awards were made in 1,063 cases, and 288 claims were rejected.
Sub-head C deals with the pensions and gratuities in respect of wounds and disease payable under the Army Pensions Acts of 1923, 1927, 1932, 1937, 1941, 1943 and 1946. Under these Acts there are already under payment 1,599 pensions at a cost of £132,353, and we anticipate that another 95 will qualify during the year, costing £9,805. Time is taking its toll of our pensioners, and during the past year no less than 81 died. Allowing for a similar number of deaths during the present year, the charge in respect of the 95 new pensions will not be £9,805, but £4,347. The sub-head also provides a sum of £600 in respect of wound gratuities payable to persons whose total disablement in respect of wound or injury does not reach the required minimum of 20 per cent. for pension purposes. The total charge of sub-head C is £137,300. I may mention that at the end of February, 1948, the Army Pensions Board had in hands 48 claims from persons who are claiming pensions for disablement alleged to have been incurred during the emergency period. The most of these cases are from persons who were apparently fit when leaving the Army, but broke down physically shortly after their retirement or discharge. It may, therefore, be said that these claims are an aftermath of the emergency period, but should gradually diminish with the passage of time.
When persons in receipt of wound or disability pensions die, their dependents, under certain conditions, qualify for pensions—technically called allowances—or gratuities, and these are provided for under sub-head D. The governing statutes here are practically the same as the Army Pensions Acts. There are already in receipt of these allowances 245 widows, 316 children and 87 dependents of unmarried deceased personnel—a total of 648 at a cost of £19,861. The present Estimate provides for 146 new allowances during the present year at a cost of £2,700, but again allowing for deaths—of which there were 14 in the past year—the new charge will be reduced by £386 to £2,314, giving a nett charge of £22,175. To this must be added £300 for educational expenses and £1,825 for gratuities payable under the 1946 Act to the partial dependents of unmarried deceased personnel, under the 1932 Act to certain widows of members of the I.R.A. and under the 1927 Act to widows who remarry. The total charge, therefore, under this sub-head is £24,300.
Sub-head E provides £470 for surgical and medical appliances for wound pensioners and sub-head F £3,200 to cover the cost of maintaining mainly in St. Bricin's Hospital persons applying for pensions and gratuities under the various Army Pensions Acts. Here it may be well to point out that the Acts allow treatment or maintenance for the following three classes only:—(1) final wound pensioners who need an alteration or renewal of their medical or surgical appliances, such as artificial limbs; (2) temporary wound or disability pensioners whose awards have expired or who appeal for an increase in pension on the grounds that their condition has worsened; (3) applicants for pensions or special allowances while their claims are being investigated by the Army Pensions Board. It will be seen, therefore, that generally speaking, the Acts contain no provision for treating persons in receipt of final pensions or of special allowances.
Sub-head G deals with the pensions granted under the Military Service Pensions Acts of 1924 and 1934. There are at present charged to the Vote 13,868 awards at a cost of £423,516 and provision is made during the current year for 33 new pensions. These will cost £1,775. Here it may be noted that there are 186 awards under the 1934 Act in which service certificates have issued but the pensions remain unclaimed. These cost £2,966 a year and the arrears to date amount to £40,036. A sum of only £2,320 is included in the present Estimate to cover the cost of the arrears, but when allowance is made for deaths—of which there were 147 during the past year—the nett additional new charge is only £1,608. Deductions of £28,924 in respect of abatements reduce the charge to the sub-head from £425,124 to £396,200.
Here it may be mentioned that the Referee and Advisory Committee appointed to administer the 1934 Act completed their work and ceased to function on 31st July, 1947. The 33 new pensions are not, therefore, awards under the 1934 Act but under the 1924 Act and they relate to officers, N.C.O.s and men who were awarded service certificates under the 1924 Act, but whose pensions do not begin to operate until they have retired or been discharged from the forces.
Sub-head H relates to pensions granted in respect of service in the Army under various Defence Force (pensions) schemes made between 1937 and 1947. At present 226 officers, 769 other ranks, and 70 dependents of deceased officers are in receipt of such pensions at a cost of £115,013. The Estimate provides new pensions for 45 officers, 274 other ranks, 13 dependents of deceased officers and six members of the Army nursing service. The total gross cost will be £23,941, but allowing £362 for casualties the nett charge will be £23,579. Gratuities, as distinct from pensions, to the extent of £19,147 are also included in this sub-head. The amount is made up as follows: married gratuities for 20 officers, £9,180; short service gratuities for eight officers, £1,320; short service gratuities for 322 other ranks, £8,147; short service gratuities for nurses, £500; total, £19,147. Hence, between pensions at £138,592 and gratuities at £19,147, the gross charge is £157,739, but this is reduced to £154,600 by abatements of £3,139 in respect of public employment and disability pensions.
Sub-heads I at £5,000 and J at £1,200 deal, like sub-heads E and F, mainly with the work of the Army Pensions Board, because the former deals with expenses of applicants and witnesses attending for examination before the board, and the main charge against sub-head J relates to the fees paid to pensions medical officers who examine applicants locally and submit their reports on the claimants' condition to the board. During the past 11 months no less than 380 cases have been examined locally in such manner, and, in passing, I should like to pay a tribute to the invaluable help afforded to the administration of the Acts by the care and skill of these medical officers.
The service and disability pensions for the Connaught Rangers are covered by sub-head K. It will be noticed that there is a reduction of £27 in the sub-head, and that is due to the death of one of the pensioners during the year. In connection with this subject, I might mention that the reduced abatement clauses provided for military service pensions by the Act of 1945 does not apply to the Connaught Rangers. It is hoped, however, to remedy that defect in the near future, and a Bill is being prepared to that effect.
As regards the Local Defence Force (sub-head L), we are providing for 45 cases at a cost of £2,313, together with £130 for incidental expenses. Deducting abatements of £113 in respect of national health insurance, the nett charge to the sub-head is £2,330.
The last sub-head M deals with an ever-increasing charge in respect of special allowances awarded to persons who are incapable of self-support by reason of old age or of permanent infirmity of mind or body and who are in possession of medals either awarded for pensionable service or for membership of the I.R.A. for three months continuously prior to 11th July, 1921. To date there have been 2,144 claims for such allowances and of that number 683 have succeeded, 882 have been rejected and 579 are in one or another stage of investigation. Looking at the matter from the angle of the Army Pensions Board, the number of cases dealt with up to the end of February, 1948, was 615, of which 344 succeeded and 271 were unsuccessful. The present estimate was framed on the basis of 439 allowances on payment costing £27,049 and of 349 new cases at a cost of £18,618 or allowing for deaths—of which there were 20 during the year—at a cost of £17,851. In this connection I may mention that in the near future legislation will be introduced extending the date of application for these special allowances.
The details of the Estimate may be summarised thus:—cost of administration, £14,853; 17,698 awards already made, £721,152; 961 new awards, £49,699; gratuities, £21,572; gross total, £807,276; less abatements, £32,176; nett total, £775,100.