Section 26 has the effect, in relation to one of the persons named, of adding six years to his actual service for the purpose of computing his pension. In the case of the other person concerned, it has the effect of giving him credit for 13 years' service which he had in the Garda Síochána and for which, under the Superannuation Acts, he would not otherwise get credit.
I made it quite clear on Second Reading that so far as we, in this Party, are concerned, we were not raising any objection to the steps being taken by the Minister in this section in so far as the two persons are concerned, but that we felt very strongly, and we feel very strongly, that what is being done for one person, or two people, should be done for other people.
The first amendment to this section in my name was designed to give to other members of the staffs of the Houses who might be under the age limit and forced to retire before they would receive their full pension, the same addition of six years' service as the Superintendent is getting, or, if the effect of six years' additional service to the person concerned would go over 40 years, then such period as would be necessary. The House is aware that the maximum pension which any civil servant of the State or the Government can get under the Superannuation Acts is based on 40 years' pensionable service. I cannot, for the life of me, see why the Minister who must have known that the amendment, as proposed by me, would be out of order under the Standing Orders of the House, has not put down an amendment in similar terms himself.
It seems to be common justice that what is being done for one person should be done for anyone else who is involved. It is, to put it mildly, most invidious that out of all the employees in this building, two people, and two people only, are picked out for special service pensionable terms, that they should be picked out and have given to them under this Bill, by this ad hoc section, an increase in their pension such as is being given here.
As I say, I am not raising this in any spirit of objection to the two individuals who are named, but we have very strong views that what is being done for one should be done for others. There are people who have served this House well and faithfully since it was established, who, because of the age limit, will go out on pension when they reach the age of 65 years without getting the maximum pension. They are just as entitled—and indeed, if I may say so, because of their long service and not because of any personalities, more entitled—to the special terms in the section as are those two persons named.
It seems to me that it would be common justice to apply to everybody who is in the service of the two Houses of the Oireachtas on the date specified in this section, 1st June, 1959, the same benefits and the same addition to the normal pension calculated under the Superannuation Acts as are being given to two people. There is no valid argument as to why these two particularly should be picked out as against others and should be given an increase which others are not being given.
I want to say at once that I appreciate—and I want to express my appreciation of—the courtesy of the Minister in giving me all the information for which I asked to enable us to come to a decision in relation to this section. There are other members of the staff who will get the "knock" because they will have to go out at 65 without full service. There are other members of the staff, just like the person specified in sub-section (2), who served in the Garda Síochána but will not get credit for their service in the Garda Síochána unless the Minister introduces some amendment on the lines and on the type of an amendment I had put down.
We must remember, too, in relation to people in this House, that there is a very big difference between their service and the service in Ministerial Departments of State outside. In Departments outside, there are very many more adequate openings for promotion., etc., than there are here. For that reason alone, it would be meritorious and desirable to ensure that where, because of age, they would not get the full pension, their cases will now be met. The Minister inserted these special provisions, not anyone else. When he himself saw fit to include special provisions for two, then, in equity and in justice they ought also be made to apply to everybody concerned.