The purpose of the Bill is to enable each District Milk Board established under the Milk (Regulation of Supply and Price) Act, 1936 to provide a superannuation scheme for its chairman and staff. Two such Boards have been established — the Dublin District Milk Board in 1936, and the Cork District Milk Board in 1937. They regulate the supply and distribution of milk for human consumption in their respective areas. In addition, they advise the Minister for Agriculture in regard to minimum producer prices for milk, promote schemes designed to secure increased liquid consumption of milk and operate artificial insemination services.
Each Board comprises a chairman nominated by the Minister and a number of ordinary members who are elected by milk producers, wholesalers and retailers. The ordinary members receive no remuneration for their services which are given on a part-time basis, but are paid allowances for expenses incurred in attending Board meetings. The Chairman's remuneration is fixed by the Minister for Agriculture, after consultation with the Minister for Finance. At present the same person is chairman of the Dublin and Cork Boards. Each Board employs such staff as are necessary for the performance of its functions. The terms and conditions of employment of the staffs are determined by the Minister for Agriculture. At present there are 79 persons on the staff of the Dublin Board and 11 on that of the Cork Board.
Expenditure incurred by a Board is met entirely from its own income which is derived from a statutory levy on milk sold in its area, and from the operation of its artificial insemination service. Each Board keeps a fund into which all money received by it is paid and out of which its expenditure is met. The Dublin Board has in fact already sought my approval to operate a superannuation scheme for its staff and I have given my approval in principle, subject to the enactment of the necessary legislation which of course would also apply to the staff of the Cork Board. In approving of the proposal in principle, I had regard to the fact that numerous other statutory bodies such as An Bord Bainne, An Bord Iascaigh Mhara, Bord na Móna, Electricity Supply Board, Bord Fáilte Éireann, An Foras Talúntais, etc., have been given authority by statute to operate superannuation schemes for their staffs, and I did not see any reason why the Milk Board staffs should be treated any less favourably in this respect. So far as can be foreseen, the District Milk Boards will remain a permanent feature of the liquid milk trade in this country.
The introduction of superannuation schemes for the employees of Milk Boards will also necessitate the introduction of a scheme for the chairman, providing his services are on a whole-time basis. As already mentioned the Chairman is the only Board member who is remunerated for his services.
This Bill follows generally the pattern of previous legislation relating to the operation of superannuation schemes by statutory bodies. It has been necessary, however, to make special provision to cover the case of a person who, as at present, is chairman of more than one board, in view of the fact that his service in relation to either board alone might be regarded as part-time, although his joint service is wholetime. Recent social welfare legislation providing for contributory old age pensions will be taken into account when schemes under the Bill are being considered. The Bill will not involve any cost to the Exchequer, as the cost of the superannuation schemes will be met entirely out of the Boards' own funds into which any staff contributions will be paid. I trust this Bill will commend itself to the House.
