asked the Minister for Finance whether he has yet reached a decision to allow retired Army officers to draw the full pension to which they are entitled although now serving in some other branch of Government or local authority service; and, if so, when this decision will take effect.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Army Officers' Pensions.
12.
Army officers who are employed in posts paid from public funds, that is, out of the Exchequer or the funds of a local authority are, of course, paid the full salary of the posts occupied by them. Where the salary of the new post is as good or better than the officer's Army pay, retired pay is not issued. There has always been a concession where the pay of the new post is less than pre-retirement pay; in such a case retired pay will be issued to make up the difference between the pay of the new post and the pre-retirement pay, allowance being made for pensions increases, so that pre-retirement pay is now calculated at 1959 level. Even this concession may give the re-employed pensioner a better income than a colleague who has served in the same employment throughout his career.
I am satisfied that this principle of abatement of pension is sound and while I would not propose to depart from the principle, I would like to examine the definition of Public Funds as it is now applied in these cases.