Vol. 24 No. 29
I move:—
That the Defence Forces (Pensions) (Amendment) Scheme, 1940, prepared by the Minister for Defence with the consent of the Minister for Finance under the terms of the Defence Forces (Pensions) Act, 1932 (No. 26 of 1932) and the Defence Forces (Pensions) (Amendment) Act, 1938 (No. 33 of 1938) and laid before the House on the 4th December, 1940, be confirmed.
The main purpose of the Defence Forces (Pensions) (Amendment) Scheme, 1940, which the Seanad is now asked to confirm, is to implement the Defence Forces (Pensions) (Amendment) Act, 1938. That Act empowered the Minister for Defence to make a scheme which would provide pensions for the widows of five officers and for one officer who had been transferred to the Gárda Síochána, and the present scheme is only, therefore, an implementation of the Act passed in 1938. The six persons covered by the Act are provided for in Articles 8 (a), 9 (3) and 9 (4) of the scheme. No pension will be payable to the officer transferred to the Gárda Síochána until he has retired from that service; and no pension will be payable to the five widows until gratuities already paid to them under defence forces regulations have been worked off in terms of pensions provided under this scheme and payable from the day following their husbands' death. In effect, three pensions will not be payable until 1942, one until 1945, and one until 1946.
The necessity of thus bringing in an amendment of the principal scheme confirmed in 1937 so as to implement the Act passed in 1938 has been seized as a suitable occasion for carrying out other minor objects. These are:— (a) to provide for the widow of a captain who was a serving officer on the appointed day, but who had not the requisite 12 years' service to entitle his widow to a pension. This is effected by Article 9 (2); (b) to provide gratuities for officers who received short-term commissions in the Air Corps. This is done by Article 6; (c) to provide for officers who may in the future be transferred to the Civil Service or Gárda Síochána. This is the effect of Article 8 (b); (d) to redraft some Articles, and to make certain verbal amendments in others so as to clarify the meaning of those Articles, where experience has shown their meaning to be obscure or the original intention not fully expressed. This purpose is given effect to in Articles 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14.
Motions (Items Nos. 4 and 5) on the Order Paper in the names of Senator Tierney and Senators Counihan and Johnston respectively, are not being taken to-night.
Os rud é go bhfuil an Seanad ag dul ar ath-ló anois i gcóir na laetheanta saoire, guidhim Nodlaig fé shéan agus fé mhaise dhíbh go léir.
The Seanad adjourned at 10.20 p.m., until 3 p.m. on Wednesday, January 22nd, 1941.
