asked the Minister for Finance whether he is now in a position to indicate whether he proposes to grant an increase in pensions to public officials in receipt of low rates of pension and whose financial position has been seriously worsened by reason of the increase in prices during the past two years.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Pensions of Public Officials.
I would refer the Deputy to my reply to a similar question asked by him on the 19th May, 1953.
In view of the fact that these small pensions have shrunk considerably in purchasing power because of the increase in prices, will the Minister not now consider the question of granting some increase to those in receipt of particularly small rates of pension?
That problem was dealt with and, I think, adequately dealt with from the point of view of the Exchequer, some time ago.
Will the Minister say in what way it has been dealt with adequately by the Exchequer? Some of these people are on a very low rate of pension. The value of the pension is substantially less than when granted because of the shrunken value of their pensions consequent on the rise in prices. Does the Minister not consider that some steps should be taken to relieve the plight of those in receipt of especially low rates of pension?
As the relief can only be given at the expense of the taxpayer, with whose position the Deputy generally professes to be concerned, I cannot help in the matter.
You could give it to the judges all right.
Surely it is much more desirable that the State should discharge its responsibility to people who have served it for 40 years than that money should be wasted fruitlessly in some other Government enterprise.
The Deputy is completely misrepresenting the position. The State has fully discharged its responsibility to these gentlemen by granting the pension to which they were entitled on retirement. Not only that, but it has considerably increased these pensions since they did retire.
Will the Minister say how he contends that the State has discharged its obligations to these personsin view of the fact that, consequent on Government policy, the value of the pension granted to these people has substantially depreciated?
The Deputy will not get away with that because the Deputy has on many occasions complained that the Government is not spending enough——
In a useful way.
——and, therefore, to the extent that the Government has given effect to the Deputy's wishes in this matter, there is bound to be an increase in taxation.
You would want to be a judge to get an increase.