I ask the House to approve the Garda Síochána Pensions Order, 1975.
The Garda Síochána pensions orders govern the award of pensions and gratuities to members of the Garda Síochána on retirement and to the widows, children and dependants of deceased members of the force. However, the order before the House deals only with the allowances payable for children and provides for a relatively minor amendment in the conditions governing the payment of such allowances.
Under the existing pensions orders allowances are payable in respect of children of deceased members up to the age of 18, if they are receiving full-time education. The order now before the House raises this upper age from 18 to 21 years. As far as such children are concerned, the order will bring the Garda scheme into line with an improvement which was granted in the Department of Social Welfare Contributory Pensions Scheme, under the terms of the Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1969. The improvement in the social welfare code came into operation on 1st August, 1969, but the existence of this improvement did not come to the notice of my Department, or the force or, I must assume, the persons directly concerned until the end of 1973 when a claim was received to have the improvement applied to the Garda Síochána. The improvement was subsequently approved in principle but statutory effect was not given to the change because other amendments in the Garda pensions scheme were being considered and it was hoped to incorporate them in one amending order. Because of difficulties, which are largely of a technical nature, these other changes have not yet been finalised and in the circumstances, in order to avoid any further delay in applying the approved conditions for payment of children's allowances, I have agreed at the request of the Garda Pensioners' Association to proceed with this amendment, leaving the other matters to be attended to later.
I commend the order for the approval of the House.
