asked the Minister for the Public Service if he has received representations in respect of pensions and allowances on behalf of a group (details supplied) and whether he is prepared to favourably consider the proposals they have made.
Written Answers. - Garda Pensions.
49.
The Deputy's question relates to a claim by Garda staff interests that all allowances paid to members of the force should be reckonable for superannuation purposes. The claim was submitted to arbitration, and the arbitrator recommended that a number of the Garda allowances should be so reckonable. However, the arbitrator specified 1 October 1982 as the commencement date for the settlement recommended by him. Accordingly the finding is directly applicable only in respect of members who retired on or after that date.
Subsequent to the publication of the arbitration report, the Garda Síochána Pensioners' Association requested that the scope of the finding be extended to include Garda pensioners who are not covered by its terms, that is, members who retired before the commencement date specified by the arbitrator. Unfortunately, because of the number of pensioners involved, such extension would have entailed considerable extra costs for the Exchequer. For that reason, having regard to the current position in relation to the public finances, I regret that it was not possible to accede to the association's request.
I appreciate the disappointment felt by the Garda pensioners affected by this outcome. Moreover I wish to assure the Deputy that the decision in this case, which was necessitated by budgetary constraints, was not due to any lack of appreciation on the Government's part for the sterling service given by the members of the Garda Síochána since the foundation of the State. I also wish to assure the pensioners concerned that their case will be reviewed as sympathetically as possible in the context of future budgetary developments.