Tairgim go léifí an Bille athuair anois. Na forálacha sin sna hAchtanna Arm-Phinsean faoina gceadaítear, fé láthair, pinsin nó aiscí a íoc d'oifigigh, saighdiúirí agus baill de Sheirbhís Altranais an Airm ar a bhfuil míchumas de bharr créachta, bíonn feidhm leo i gcás gur seirbhís le Fórsa de chuid na Náisiúin Aontuithe is siocair don mhíchumas. Sa bhealach chéanna, tá na sochair a shonraítear sna hAchtanna do chleithiúnaithe oifigigh agus saighdiúirí éagtha ar fáil do chleithiúnaithe iad siúd a marbhaítear nó a gheibheann bás de dheasca créachta i dtoscaí is inchurtha i leith seirbhíse le Fórsa de chuid na Náisiúin Aontuithe.
Níl forál ar bith ann, ámhthach, a cheadaíos pinsin, aiscí nó liúntaisí a íoc sa chás go dtarlíonn míchumas nó bás de bharr ghalair is inchurtha i leith a leithéid sin seirbhíse, de bhrí nach meastar gur priacal é an galar a bhaineann le seirbhís in Óglaigh na hÉireann in aimsear síochána agus nach bhfuil forálacha ar bith ann i leith ghalair in aimsear síochána a d'fhéadfaí a chur i bhfeidhm go huathoibreach (mar a deintear leis na forálacha i leith créachta nó báis i mbun dualgais) do sheirbhís in Óglaigh na hÉireann leis na Náisiúin Aontuithe.
Tá gá leis an mBille seo, mar sin, le go gcáileofar míchumas nó bás de dheasca ghalair is inchurtha i leith seirbhíse le Fórsa de chuid na Náisiúin Aontuithe dos na sochair iomchuí.
Mar sin de, forálann Alt 3 (maille leis an Chéad Sceideal) gur féidir pinsin a íoc de bharr ghalair is inchurtha i leith seirbhíse leis na Náisiúin Aontuithe faoi réir na gcoinníollacha céanna a bhain le pinsin le haghaidh míchumais de dheasca ghalair dob inchurtha i leith seirbhíse ó 1922-1924 nó ó 1939-1946—siad san an t-aon dá thréimhse inar áiríodh cheana go raibh galar i dteidil sochair faoi na hAchtanna. Is ionann scálaí agus rátaí na bpinsean atá beartaithe agus iad san atá dá íoc faoi láthair dóibh siúd a cháiligh le haghaidh pinsean i leith mhíchumais de dheasca ghalair sa tréimhse 1939-1946.
Tá na sochair atá ar fáil i leith bháis de bharr ghalair a tógadh i 1922-1924 nó i 1939-1946 dá leathnú ag Alt 6 (maille leis an Dara Sceideal) do chleithiúnaithe oifigigh agus saighdiúirí a gheibheann bás de bharr ghalair is inchurtha i leith seirbhíse le Forsa de chuid na Náisiúin Aontuithe; comh-maith, cuireann sé sochar breise ar fáil (nach raibh i bhfeidhm le haghaidh na tréimhsí siúd) a mhéadsionn de 50 faoin gcéad na liúntaisí is iníoctha do bhaintrigh agus do pháistí oifigigh agus saighdiúirí a gheibheann bás, laistigh de cheithre bhliain ó dáta forceannta a seirbhíse leis na Náisiúin Aontuithe, de dheasca ghalair is inchurtha i leith na seirbhíse sin. (Tá an méadú seo de 50 faoin gcéad sna hAchtanna cheana i gcás baintrigh agus páistí pearsanra a marbhaítear i mbun dualgais nó a gheibheann bás, laistigh de cheithre bhliain, de bharr créachta ach ní raibh sé riamh i bhfeidhm cheana nuair ba ghalar abhí mar chúis báis.)
Foráltar in Ailt 5 agus 7 go n-íocfar, i leith seirbhíse leis na Náisiúin Aontuithe agus i dtoscaí nach n-íoctar na gnáth-phinsin míthreora iontu, pinsin modhnaithe le haghaidh mhíchumais de ghrád níos lú nó nach bhfuil inchurtha in iomlán don tseirbhís; tá na forálacha seo ar aon dul leo siúd atá sna hAchtanna cheana do thréimhsí 1922-1924 agus 1939-1946.
Tá an tSeirbhís Séipléineachta dá thabhairt isteach sna hAchtanna don chéad uair. Féadfar, faoi Alt 4, pinsin a íoc do bhaill den tSeirbhís de bharr míchumais, pecu ó ghalair nó ó chréacht, is inchurtha i leith seirbhíse le Forsa de chuid na Náisiúin Aontuithe. (Tá na baill clúdaithe freisin ag na pinsin modhraithe a luaitear in Ailt 5 agus 7).
Ní gá de thagairt i gcás Ailt 1, 2 agus 8, a bhaineann le léiriú, sainmhínithe agus comhlua, ach a rá go bhfuil sé soiléir in Alt 2 go bhfuil feidhm ag an mBille don uile chineál seirbhíse leis na Naisiúin Aontuithe (san am atá thart, fé láthair nó san todhchaí) ina raibh nó ina mbeidh páirt ag baill d'Óglaigh na hÉireann.
The existing provisions of the Army Pensions Acts which allow for the payment of pensions or gratuities to officers, soldiers and members of the Army Nursing Service who become disabled as a result of wounds are applicable where such disablements are due to service with a United Nations Force. Similarly, the benefits provided under the Acts for the dependants of deceased officers and soldiers are available to the dependants of those who are killed or who die of wounds in circumstances attributable to service with a United Nations Force.
Where, however, disablement or death is due to disease attributable to such service there is no provision for the payment of pensions, gratuities or allowances because disease is not regarded as a peace-time hazard of Defence Force service and there are no peace-time provisions in respect of disease which could be automatically applied, as in the case of the provisions for wounds or death on duty, to Defence Force service with the United Nations. This Bill is therefore necessary to enable disablement or death due to disease attributable to service with a United Nations Force to qualify for the appropriate benefits.
Section 3, in conjunction with the First Schedule, provides accordingly that pensions may be paid in respect of disease attributable to United Nations service subject to the same conditions which applied in respect of pensions for disablement due to disease attributable to service in 1922-1924 or in 1939-1946—the only two periods during which disease was hitherto reckonable for benefit under the Acts. The scales and rates of pensions provided are those currently payable to persons who qualified for pensions in respect of disablement due to disease in the 1939-1946 period.
Section 6, in conjunction with the Second Schedule, extends to the dependants of officers and soldiers who die from disease attributable to service with a United Nations Force the benefits available in respect of death from disease contracted in 1922-1924 or in 1939-1946, and, in addition, provides a new benefit, which was not applicable to the latter categories, under which there is a 50% addition to the allowances payable to the widows and children of officers and soldiers who die within four years of the termination of their United Nations service from a disease attributable to such service. This 50% enhancement already exists in the Acts in the case of the widows and children of personnel killed on duty or dying, within four years, of a wound but it has not hitherto been operative for death from disease.
Sections 5 and 7 provide, in respect of United Nations service, for the payment, in circumstances where the normal disability pensions are not payable, of modified pensions for lesser disability or partial attributability similar to those already available under the Acts in respect of the 1922-1924 and the 1939-1946 periods.
Section 4 brings the Chaplaincy Service for the first time within the ambit of the Acts and enables pensions to be paid to members of the Service in respect of disablement, whether from disease or wound, attributable to service with a United Nations Force. Members are also included within the scope of the modified pensions mentioned in Sections 5 and 7.
Sections 1, 2 and 8 deal with matters of interpretation, definition, citation, etc., and do not call for comment other than that it will be seen from Section 2 that the Bill applies to all United Nations service, past, present and future in which members of the Defence Forces have been or may be engaged.