Vol. 319 No. 3
asked the Minister for Defence if he will outline the position in relation to the payment of Army pensions to retired Army personnel residing in accommodation provided by the Army, if his attention has been drawn to the fact that some of these personnel, retired from McKee Barracks, Dublin 7, have not been paid pension since 1963, and the reasons for this.
30.
asked the Minister for Defence if Army pensions are withheld from retired Army personnel residing in accommodation provided by the Army and, if so, the reasons for this.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle I propose to take Questions Nos. 29 and 30 together.
Pensions payable to retired Army personnel who are overholding married quarters are withheld pending the evacuation of such quarters which are required for allocation to serving Army personnel.
Defence Force regulations provide for the recovery as a public debt of charges in respect of the use of quarters, furniture, water, gas and/or electricity by former members of the Permanent Defence Force. While unauthorised possession of quarters is continued, it is not possible to finalise these charges. The Defence Forces pensions schemes provides for the recovery of such charges from pension and for the withholding of pension until the amount of the deduction is ascertained.
