asked the Minister for Finance the authority governing payment of compassionate gratuities in respect of employees of the Department of Defence.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Compassionate Gratuities.
8.
The authority for the payment of compassionate gratuities in respect of employees of the Department of Defence is the general statutory authority for the payment of these gratuities to employees of all Departments. This authority is section 4 of the Superannuation Act, 1887, and section 3 of the Superannuation Act, 1914, both as amended by section 2 of the Superannuation and Pensions Act, 1963.
9.
asked the Minister for Finance if, having regard to the circumstances of the relatives of a deceased person (details supplied) and the health of that person when alive, he will waive his objections to payment of a compassionate gratuity to the relatives of that person.
The answer is in the negative.
Is it not a fact that in this case the person in question was suffering for a number of years from a disease likely to affect his general temperament and disposition? Having regard to that would the Minister not consider that this may have had a bearing on any instances of indiscipline that may have taken place and would he now take a more sympathetic view of the matter and pay the gratuity to this man's relatives?
These compassionate gratuities are awarded to the person concerned when he retires, provided that the necessary recommendation is made by the authorities of the Department in which he served. When a gratuity is not awarded on retirement prior to the person's death, there is no statutory authority for awarding it to his dependants.
Even if the Department were to change their mind and say that on reconsideration it should have been given to the person?
That change of mind would have to be made in relation to the deceased man. It would have to be awarded to him posthumously and then passed on to his representatives. I understand that in this case the appropriate Department would not recommend that course.
10.
asked the Minister for Finance if he will state with regard to deceased employees of the Department of Defence the number in respect of whom compassionate gratuities have (i) been paid and (ii) not been paid in the last five years.
In the five year period from 1st January, 1961, to 31st December, 1965, 77 compassionate gratuities were paid in respect of employees of the Department of Defence who died in service and who had not less than the minimum service required by the relevant statutory provisions for the grant of a gratuity. No gratuity was awarded in respect of four employees of the Department who died in service. In these cases, although the employees had the necessary qualifying service, they left no dependents in favour of whom an award could be made. Records are not available to show the number of deceased employees who died in service and in respect of whom an award was not made because they had less than the requisite service, or to show the number of employees who died after leaving the service of the Department.