I move:
That the Dáil hereby approves of the Garda Síochána Pensions Order, 1966, made on the 17th day of October, 1966, by the Minister for Justice, with the sanction of the Minister for Finance, under section 13 of the Police Forces Amalgamation Act, 1925.
The Garda Síochána Pensions Order, 1966, which I am asking the House to approve, contains an amendment to the existing Garda Síochána Pensions Orders, the effects of which are explained in the memorandum which has been circulated to Deputies with the Order.
As Deputies will observe from the memorandum, the Order provides for the application to members of the Garda Síochána of the benefits of the Pensions (Abatement) Act, 1965, which applies to Civil Servants and Local Government Officials.
The Garda Síochána Pensions Orders at present provide for the abatement of the pension of a retired garda who takes up any employment remunerated out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas or out of the Central Fund. The effect of the new Order is that:
(1) there will no longer be any abatement in the pension of a retired member of the force who secures employment, other than in the Garda Síochána,
(2) in the case where abatement will continue to apply, namely where the re-employment is in the Garda Síochána, it will be alleviated by being related, not, as heretofore, to the pay at the date of retirement but to the pay currently applying to the member's former position, and
(3) the abatement in the pension of a retired member of the force, who is re-appointed to the Garda Síochána, may be waived by the Minister for Finance subject to the condition that the pensioner is re-employed for work, for which he has particular training and experience, and that it is not practicable to meet the requirement otherwise.
The Order takes effect from the 1st January, 1965, which is the date that the Pensions (Abatement) Act came into force.
The Order will, thus, operate to the advantage of members of the Garda Síochána and I ask approval of the motion.