asked the Minister for Health whether, in view of conditions of employment of male and female attendants in mental hospitals, he will introduce proposals for legislation to reduce the minimum number of years' service required to qualify for full pension in their case.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Mental Hospital Nurses' Pensions.
The minimum number of years' service required to qualify for full pension in the case of male and female nurses in the mental hospital service is substantially less than is required generally in the local authority service and I do not feel that a further special departure in relation to the mental hospital nursing staffs would be warranted.
asked the Minister for Health if he will state whether he proposes to increase the rate of pension of retired officers of mental hospitals, particularly those who retired prior to 1952, having regard to the fact that a male or female mental nurse who retired since 1952 has a pension of £60 in excess of a person who retired in 1950.
There is no statutory authority which would enable increases in pension rates to be granted to employees of mental hospital authorities as suggested by the Deputy and any proposals to review the pensions of such employees would therefore require amending legislation. The introduction of such legislation for this purpose is not at present contemplated.