I move the motion standing in the name of Senator Brown, which reads:
"That the Standing Orders be suspended for the purpose of enabling the remaining stages of the Teachers Superannuation Bill, 1928, to be taken to-day."
PRIVATE BUSINESS. - TEACHERS SUPERANNUATION BILL, 1928—FINAL STAGES.
I second that.
Question put and agreed to.
The Seanad went into Committee.
Section 1 and 2 put and agreed to.
On Section 3,
This Bill contains a number of enabling provisions providing for certain things that may be done. But I notice that no provision, either permissive or compulsory, is contained in it whereby there shall be any representation of the teachers on the Committee of whatever funds may be set up. This, I take it, will eventually be a contributory fund, and the membership will be compulsory.
CATHAOIRLEACH
Of course, Senator, you notice that all these schemes when they have been framed have to be passed by a resolution of both Houses?
There are certain fundamentals laid down here, permissive arrangements at all events. It is a general principle of contributory funds that contributors shall have an equal share in the management.
CATHAOIRLEACH
There is nothing inconsistent with that here.
I know there is not. The draftsman has thought it necessary to put certain provisions that may or may not be adopted into the Bill, and one of them is that deductions may be made from the salaries of the teachers. It was thought necessary to put in that. I would have thought, as a corollary to that, that there would be an arrangement whereby there would be representation for teachers on that fund. The railway companies have a superannuation fund and they are contributory funds, and at one time the railway companies managed those funds themselves. But the employees blocked many of their Private Bills in Parliament, until such time as Parliament insisted upon the companies giving the contributor a right to representation on the fund, seeing that they were contributing 50 per cent. I think it is a right and proper principle that where there is a contributory fund the contributors should have some voice in the management of the funds.
CATHAOIRLEACH
This is quite open. All this is dealing with money grants or education, and it gives the Board power in framing their superannuation scheme if they wish a provision for deducting payment for a pension. If a scheme is brought forward with that in it, it would be open to either House to ask or decide that in such a scheme as that there should be representatives of the teachers.
I am afraid that whatever comes before either House they will have to accept it or reject it.
CATHAOIRLEACH
I am afraid there is something in that.
Sections 3 to 8 inclusive, put and agreed to.
Bill ordered to be reported.
The Seanad went out of Committee.
The Bill reported without amendments.
The Bill was then put through its final stages and passed.