asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware that the members of the Taca Siochána recruited in September, 1939, on a temporary basis and made permanent in April, 1942, have been deprived of approximately two and a half years towards service and pension; and, if so, if he will arrange to have this disability remedied and the members concerned credited with their full service for pension and other purposes.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Garda Siochána Pensions.
Mr. Boland
The members of the Taca Siochána were recruited as temporary officers for service during the emergency without pension rights and without an incremental scale of pay. In recognition of this, they were paid at a rate higher than that prescribed at the time for persons recruited in the ordinary way to the Garda, and their pay was not made subject to the Garda pension contribution of 2½ per cent. When members of the Taca were enrolled in the Garda on 1st April, 1942, their service became pensionable as from that date and they were allowed to retain the special rate of pay which they had been receiving as temporary officers. They will be eligible for full pension before they reach the retiring age.
It was made quite clear to them when they were recruited to the Taca that their services in the Taca would not be pensionable and when they were enrolled in the Garda it was made clear to them that their services in the Taca would not count for the purposes of increments of pay or pension in the Garda. There is, therefore, no question of their having been deprived of anything to which they had any right or expectation.