As the Minister said on the Budget, this brought the 12 per cent increase up to mid-May, 1966. Since then, there has been a further seven point increase which I think would be the equivalent of four per cent. While this is welcome to pensioners in so far as it goes, it is a matter of difficulty for people living on pensions and the type of rentier small fixed income because we seem to be in the position in which the value of our money is going down year by year. The only question at issue in any year is whether it goes down faster than it did in the preceding year. I think the time has come, having regard to that and having regard to the position as we have seen it over past years, to consider whether, in relation to the whole standardisation of pay for Government service and pensions for Government service, the linking of these to the consumer price index would not be more appropriate than to deal with it on an ad hoc basis from time to time each year when, in fact, it is only the hardship that the pensioners have suffered that melts the heart of whoever may be Minister for Finance at the time.
I notice, particularly, in this Estimate that a sum of £10 is included for local authority pensions. I presume this is merely a token Estimate. I should like the Minister to confirm that the pensions for those engaged in local authority work will be dealt with in exactly the same way as for those in the Civil Service, for teachers, gardaí and for the other classes that have been included in this Estimate. I think this is now done by a Statutory Order rather than by the old Act and that all that is necessary, therefore, is the inclusion of an Estimate for the amount of the payment. That is a useful tidying piece of legislation that was carried through some years back. It makes the position very easy.
Already, as I say, this is four per cent behind the times, and by the time we come to next year's Budget, I fear it will be substantially down further again.
