asked the Minister for Defence if he is aware that parents and dependents of deceased Volunteers claiming pensions or gratuities under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1924, have been informed that such applications cannot be entertained, and whether he would consider the advisability of introducing legislation to amend the Act so as to include such cases.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - MILITARY SERVICE PENSIONS ACT. POSITION OF DEPENDENTS OF DECEASED VOLUNTEERS.
The cases referred to by the Deputy may fall into two classes, namely, the cases of Volunteers who died prior to the 1st October last, and the cases of those who died after that date. The Military Service Pensions Act, 1924, prescribes the 1st October last as the earliest date for the commencement of pensions. Obviously, nothing could be payable in the cases of Volunteers who died prior to that date. As regards the other cases, provided that the Volunteers themselves have stated valid claims on the prescribed forms, arrears of pensions accruing up to the date of decease will be issued to next-of-kin.
There appears to be no necessity to amend the Act in connection with any of the cases referred to.
Mr. BYRNE
In order to prevent an injustice being done in the case of a young man who was expecting that he would secure a gratuity and who died within the last twelve months, and left relatives, will the Minister see that the Act is amended in such a way as to give the relatives the benefit that might have been given to the deceased?
The pension is payable to the Volunteer or soldier and not to the dependents. The Deputy, perhaps, may have been mixing up the Acts.
Mr. BYRNE
I am not. I have a case here in which a young man died. He had already received a form, but had not completed it, and when the relatives wrote asking whether they would be entitled to the benefit which this young man would have participated in, they received an answer stating that the application for a certificate of military service, in accordance with the terms of the Military Service (Pensions) Act, 1924, must be made by the person who rendered the services in question. This is a case in which the young man who rendered the services received no benefit, and his relatives were hopeful that the Act would be amended in such a way as to allow them to get the benefit.
As I stated, the pension is payable to the volunteer or soldier. At present there is no intention of amending the Act.