I move:—
That the National School Teachers' Superannuation (Amendment) Scheme, 1947, made by the Minister for Education with the consent of the Minister for Finance under the Teachers' Superannuation Act, 1928 (No. 32 of 1928), be confirmed.
National School Teachers' Superannuation (Amendment) Scheme, 1947—Motion.
Is é fáth na scéime seo socrú a dhéanamh maidir le háireamh pinsean agus aisce i gcásanna áirithe a tharla de bharr na hEigeandála, stailc na múinteoirí, agus lán-deontas-i-gcabhair a thabhairt do Scoileanna Náisiúnta na Scol Ceartúcháin agus na Scol Saothair; sin agus socrú a dhéanamh chun athrú a chur ar an mbun-mhodh atá ann le háireamh a dhéanamh ar an meán-tuarastal bliantúil i gcóir críocha aoisliúntas agus chun leasú a dhéanamh ar an gcóid atá ann fá láthair maidir le pointí áirithe.
Ó thaobh na hÉigeandála tá socrú déanta i Mír 5 den Scéim go n-áireofar mar sheirbhís inphinsin i gcóir críocha na Príomh-Scéime seirbhís a thug múinteoir cáilithe sna Fórsaí Cosanta i rith na tréimhse ón 2ú lá de Mheán Fómhair, 1939, go dtí an 11ú lá de Bhealtaine, 1945.
Cinntítear i Mír 10 go n-áireofar i gcoir pinsin suim iomlán an Bhónais Eigeandála a híocadh le múinteoirí náisiúnta a bhí, freisin, ins mbunmháistrí poist.
Tá socrú déanta sa leasú maidir le múinteoirí atá imithe amach cheana ar pinsean. Ó thaobh stailc na múinteoirí tá socrú déanta i Mír 6 i gcás múinteora a fuair bás le linn dó a bheith ar stailc. Ina leithéid sin de chás beidh ionadaithe pearsanta an mhúinteora mhairbh i dteideal an aisce bháis atá ag dul, fá na Scéimeanna Aoisliúntas. do mhúinteoir a bhí ar fostú le linn dó bás a fháil. Tá socrú déanta i Mír 7 i gcóir ban-mhúinteoir a phós le linn di a bheith ar stailc. Beidh a leithéid i dteideal an aisce phósta atá ag dul fá na Scéimeanna Aoisliúntas, do mhúinteoir a bhí ar fostú le linn pósadh di.
Ón lú lá d'Aibreán, 1946, ámh, tá na scoileanna seo ar aon dul leis na gná-bhunscoileanna. Ar an abhar sin, bíonn an tseirbhís a bheirtear iontu inphinsin fán ngná-chóid. Fágann sin nach bhfuil riachtanas feasta le scéim na bliana 1942 i gcás seirbhíse a tugadh tar éis an lú lá d'Aibreán, 1946, agus níonn Mír 8 athghairm uirthi féin dá réir.
Gná-bhunscoileanna atá fá stiúradh na n-ord crábhaidh, tá sé de roghain acu cabhair ón Stát a fháil do réir bunmhoda na caipitíochta, .i. denotas do réir an aonaid de ghná-thinrimh, sin nó do réir bun-mhodha na haicmíochta. Sa dara cás seo íocann an Roinn Oideachais a thuarastal pearsanta le gach ball den fhoirinn. Sna cásanna ina ndearna na stiúrthóirí roghain de mhodh na haiemíochta is inphinsin fá na Scéimeanna atá ann, fá láthair, an tseirbhis a chuir baill den ord isteach mar mhúinteoirí ar an bhfoirinn aitheanta ón lú lá d'Aibreán, 1946. Ach ní foláir socrú fá leith a dhéanamh lena chinntú go mbeadh an chreidiúint chéanna i gcóir pinsin le fáil acu agus atá le fáil ag múinteoirí tuata ar aon seirbhíse a thugadar i Scoileanna Ceartúcháin agus i Scoileanna Saothair roimh an dáta sin. Tá an socrú sin déanta i Mír 9.
Tá socrú déanta i Mír 11 chun athrú ar an tréimhse trí mblian as a mbaintear leas ag éireamh an mheán-tuarastail bliantúil i gcóir pinsin agus i gcóir aisce pósta agus aisce báis. Go dtí seo ba é an 31ú la den Mhárta a bhí ann roimh rá ba chríoch den tréimhse se trí blian sin i ngach cás, ach as seo amach beidh críoch ar an tréimhse an lá deireannach den cheathrú, más é sin an lá a théas an múinteoir ar pinsean, a phósas an múinteoir nó a gheobhas an múinteoir bás. Munar ar an dáta sin a tharlas aon cheann de na neithe úd beidh deireadh na tréimhse ann an lá deiridh den cheathrú a bhí ann roimhe sin. I ngeall air sin beidh méadú, tríd is tríd, ar an meán-tuarastal bliantúil.
Ar theacht i bhfeidhm do na scálaí nua tuarastail ar an 31ú lá de Dheireadh Fómhair, 1946, múinteoirí ar bith a bhí le dhul ar pinsiún fán teora aoise roimh an 31ú lá de Mhí na Nollag, 1947, ceadaíodh dóibh leanacht orthu sa tseirbhís go dtí an dáta sin. Do réir an tsocruithe atá déanta sa mír seo is ar an meán-tuarastal a fuaireadar a rith na dtrí mblian dár críoch an 31ú lá de Mhí na Nollag, 1947, a háireofar a bpinsean. Dá réir sin, beidh tréimhse 14 mhí acu ar na scálaí feabhsaithe fá chóir críocha pinsin. Ina theannta sin, múinteoirí a rachas ar pinsiú fán teora aoise i rith an dá bhlian seo ag teacht beidh síneadh ar an tréimhse seirbhíse i gcóir pinsin a bheas acu ar na scálaí arda. Iad seo a rachas ar pinsean ar an 31ú lá de Mhí na Nollag, 1949, nó am ar bith ina dhiaidh sin is ar an meán-tuarastal a fuaireadar i rith trí mblian iomlán ar na scálaí nua a haireofar a bpinsean. Marach an socrú atá déanta sa mír seo, ní bhead sin amhlaidh go dtí an lú lá d'Aibreán, 1950. An t-athrú a nítear ar mhodh áirimh an mheán-tuarastail bhliantúil rachaidh sé chun tairbhe, freisin, dóibh seo a bhéas i dteideal aisce pósta nó aisce báis.
Níl aon mhór-thábhacht i Míreanna 12 agus 13 ach ó thaobh riaradh na scéime.
Fá na scéimeanna atá ann fá láthair ní fulár an pinsiún íoc uair sa mhí ach ba mhaith an rud é dá mb'fhéidir é íoc an trá a measfaí ab fheiliúnaí ina chóir ó am go ham. Bheirtear cumhacht chuige sin i Mír 14.
Do hiarradh orm i roinnt cás pinsean a íoc fá dhó sa mí agus mar adúirt nó ar ócáid eile tá sé toilteanach an moladh a bhreithniú ná bheirtear fianaise dhom go bhfuil aon éileamh mór go ndéanfainn amhlaidh.
Chun freastal ar chás fá leith crustain a cuireadh Mír 15 isteach. Chuir a lán daoine an cás os mo chomhair. Sé an cás é, ban-mhúinteoir a rugadh sa mbliain 1877, agus a thug seirbhís leanúnach i Scoil Saothair ón mbliain 1913, agus a bhí ag múnadh roimhe sin féin. Thug Scéim Aoisliúntas na bliana 1942 creidiúint fá chóir pinsin dá leithéid sin i gcás seirbhíse a tugadh go dtí an bhliain 1941, ach, do bhrí nar fheagair an múinteoir áirithe seo don sainmhíniú ar "mhúinteoir" atá ag gabháil leis an bPríomh-Scéim ní raibh sí i dteideal pinsin. Cuirfear an scéal ina cheart sa mír seo. Is éard atá ar intinn a dhéanamh aitheantas mar "mhinteoir" a thabhairt di go foirmiúil ar feadh tréimhse gairid agus ansin í chur ar pinsean ar an bpointe cuí.
Ní mheasaim go bhfuil aon ábhair conspóide sna moltaí seo agus iarrain ar an Seanad an rún a rith go foirmiúil ag daingniú na scéime.
I notice, from the summary of the Minister's speech, that a woman teacher in a reformatory school has had her status improved so that she may qualify for full pension. Another case occurs to me, of which I am sure the Minister must be aware. It is possible that representations have already been made to him about it. It is that of a schoolteacher in Dublin. He has had 50 years' service, only 19 of which were given under the Department of Education. He will be retiring in the near future with the magnificent pension of 31/- or 41/- after his 50 years' service. I should like to know how he will fare under this scheme? Will his position be regularised, so that a pension, commensurate with his years of service, may be awarded to him? There may be other cases of the same kind. This is one that I know something about myself. As I have said, only 19 years of his service were given under the Department of Education. He was formerly employed in a Christian Brothers' school. I should like to know what will happen, generally, to lay teachers who have given long service in, say, Christian Brothers' schools? What will happen in his case, and in other similar cases, so far as this superannuation scheme is concerned? I am sure the Minister is aware of this particular case.
The case to which Senator Foran has referred is known to me. Lay-assistants in Christian Brothers' schools came under the national system when the Brothers' schools came in in 1925 and they got half credit for their previous service in these schools. At that time, lay-assistants were not pensionable. Under the 1934 scheme, lay-assistants were made pensionable and were given two-thirds credit for previous recognised and paid services. That means that lay-assistants in Christian Brothers' schools got two-thirds credit for the 1925 to 1934 period. It was only in that period that they were recognised and paid. I agree that they have a case. We are examining the case at present, and, if it is possible, I hope that we shall be able to get the other authorities concerned to agree that some amelioration will be necessary. If the necessary agreement can be got, I am quite prepared to bring along a further scheme. This scheme deals merely with matters arising out of the emergency, the question of teachers who served in the forces during the emergency, the regularisation of the position of a small number of teachers who happen to be sub-postmasters, whose pension rights have been unsettled and certain matters arising out of the teachers' strike, as well as settling the position of teachers in industrial schools, those run by religious orders, who will be paid on a capitation basis. For both capitation and classification, the two types of schools are being recognised now as national schools and the teachers will be paid in the ordinary way and will be treated equally as having full advantage of the superannuation scheme.
There are other points in connection with superannuation. The one Senator Foran referred to is one that we are examining at present, and I think it will probably be necessary to introduce further amendments to this scheme.
Could it be done now?
I am afraid we could not do it now. This scheme has been in hands for a considerable time, but, owing to drafting and printing difficulties, it has not been possible to deal with it until now. I cannot make any final promise until I get agreement with the Finance authorities about the matter.
I am afraid I may be out of order in mentioning another matter, but I will not detain the House very long. There is another class, existing pensioned teachers, several of whom are in a very serious position at present. I know that the Minister is aware of their position and I believe that he is sympathetic.
I am afraid that is outside this scheme.
Mr. Ruane
I would not like to let this occasion pass without mentioning their case, because we are going to keep knocking until something is done for them.
Motion put and agreed to.
The Seanad adjourned at 8.5 p.m. until 3 p.m. on Wednesday, December 10th.