asked the Minister for Finance why civil service pensioners are required on a day at the end of each quarter to complete a declaration of entitlement to pension at a specified rate and of the date of birth; if he will state the statutory or other authority for such a requirement; and if he will amend the regulations relating to these matters to obviate the need for repeated similar declarations, particularly as to the date of birth.
Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers. - Civil Service Pension Requirement.
5.
The declaration referred to is required under section 20 of the Finance Act, 1937. Its purpose is, of course, to serve as evidence that the person entitled to a pension is still alive.
Section 5 of the Appropriation Act, 1962 has the effect of enabling the Minister for Finance to modify by statutory rules the arrangements for pensions declarations and I hope to introduce simplified procedures from an early date.
Will the Minister give an assurance that amongst the modifications he will make will be the removal of the requirement that a man over 65 years of age must make a solemn statutory declaration four times a year as to the date of his birth because, presumably, when it is established by statutory declaration once, it will not vary thereafter and will he assure us that that ludicrous arrangement will be done away with? Will the Minister also bear in mind the embarrassment which is caused to declarants at the moment by the arrangement which requires them four times a year to disclose to some person the amount of pension which they are being paid and that these matters are not necessarily related to the continued existence of the applicant? Is it the Minister's intention to modify the procedure?
Will the Minister tell me whether it will be required in the case of a public official like Dr. Andrews? Surely the Minister can answer that?
It is being modified for him.
According to what the Minister for Transport and Power said yesterday, we could not pay him enough for what he did.