I move:
Go ndeonófar suim fhorlíontach nach mó ná £1,450,000 chun íoctha an mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 3 lú lá de Nollaig, 1979, le haghaidh pá scoir, pinsin, cúiteamh, liúntais agus aiscí is iníoctha faoi reachtanna iolartha le comhaltaí d'Óglaigh na hÉireann agus dEagraíochtaí Míleata áirithe eile, etc., nó ina leith sin, agus le haghaidh ranníocaí agus costais éagsúla i ndáil leo sin; le haghaidh liúntais eisreachtúla áirithe leanaí agus le haghaidh ildeontas.
The main Estimate for Army Pensions for the year ending on 31 December 1979 is for a net sum of £15,774,000. The Supplementary Estimate which I am now introducing is for an additional sum of £1,450,000. The gross Supplementary comprises £1,635,000 for pensions and allowances, reduced to £1,450,000 by estimated savings of £185,000 including an increase of £50,000 in Appropriations-in-Aid.
The main Estimate included a provision of £118,000 towards the cost of the increases in pensions and allowances which came into operation from 1 July 1979. The additional sums now sought are required to meet the cost of the actual increases.
In the case of Military Service Pensions—subhead D—and allowances and gratuities paid to dependants under subhead C, the increase with effect from 1 July 1979 amounted to 21.8 per cent. Deputies will be interested to hear that at present there are about 3,000 military service pensioners in receipt of pensions and there are 4,200 widows of military service pensioners in receipt of allowances equal to one half of their deceased husband's pension at current rates subject to a minimum amount of £188.76 a year.
Special allowances, which are provided for in subhead G, have been increased three times this year. In addition to the specific increase of £100 announced in the 1979 Budget, there were two subsequent increases which together amounted to £70. Effectively, therefore, special allowances have been increased at the rate of £170 per annum from 1 July 1979. At present there are some 6,000 special allowance holders involved.
As regards Defence Forces Scheme Pensions—subhead E—increases at various rates, depending on former rank, retrospective to 1 July 1978, have been granted. Effective from 1 July 1979 the increase has been of the order of 10 per cent and a further increase of 9 per cent also effective from that date has been approved.
As regards savings, these are made up of £6,000 for wound and disability pensions—subhead B; £69,000 in respect of grants for free travel and so on—subhead L—and £60,000 for funeral grants—subhead M. In addition there is an increase of £50,000 in Appropriations in Aid—subhead N.
Taken together the effect of these savings is, as I said at the outset, to reduce the current requirement by £185,000 to a net sum of £1,450,000.