asked the Minister for Defence if he will arrange for the payment of a Defence Forces widow's pension to the wives of deceased non-commissioned officers and men.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Defence Forces Widow's Pension.
12.
Non-commissioned officers and privates are insured under the Social Welfare Acts and their widows are eligible for contributory pensions under those Acts. The Defence Forces (Pensions) Schemes do not provide pensions for these widows but I am having the position examined.
Would the Minister agree there is discrimination against these women in this case and that there is need for immediate anti-discrimination legislation to correct this position?
No. People might reach that conclusion from the fact that the pension that might be available to non-commissioned officers and men could be less than the social welfare pension which would be applicable. The social welfare pension is paid because the person involved is insured as a member of the Army under the social welfare code. The position of a widow under 80 years of age is that she receives £6.60 a week under the social welfare code, a widow over 80 years receives £7.10 and each child under 18 receives £2.15. Under the Army Pensions Acts when a pensioner dies while in receipt of a wound or disability benefit pension his widow and children qualify for allowances if the degree of his pensionable disability was 50 per cent or more irrespective of the cause of death. Where the degree of disablement was less than 50 per cent the allowances are payable if the death of the pensioner was due to his pensionable disablement. Under these Acts the current weekly rates are: widows £4.51; for each eligible child £1.66. The Deputy will see this is less than the other sum, but these allowances are payable in addition to the social welfare benefits. I think this is where the worry arises.
I should like to point out I was not referring to pensions paid to persons because of disablement; I was referring to pensions paid to persons whose husbands were deceased. Arrangements should be made to pay them adequate pensions. It is paid to commissioned officers; there is discrimination here between commissioned and non-commissioned personnel in the Army which should not be allowed continue.
I have a proposal to have a contributory widows' and orphans' pension scheme for soldiers similar to that operating for Army officers. That is coming.
That is what I want. It is the point I have been making for the last few months and I am grateful that at last the Minister has agreed to give some assistance——
I inquired about this four or five months ago. I have been in office for only a wet week-end——
Would the Minister consider paying to widows of deceased members a portion of the gratuity normally paid on retirement?
I will consider everything when I am examining the proposals I have requested.
It will have our full support. I would urge the Minister to bring forward the proposals.