asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he is yet in a position to add anything to his reply on the 2nd December last to question regarding superannuation schemes for local government service; and if he is aware that a number of employees with long service will soon be retiring and that, so far, no pension scheme is available for them.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Local Government Officials' Superannuation.
I have no further information to communicate to the Deputy on this matter. As regards the latter part of the question, there are no records of employees of local bodies as distinct from officers kept in my Department.
Is the Minister aware that, in the case of the Dublin County Council, there is a number of men who were formerly employed by a contractor and who, at a certain time, were taken over by the county council and are shortly due to retire? There is no pension scheme available for them. They are about 40 or 50 years with the county council and some of them are very old men, formerly employed by this contractor. Will the Minister consider the cases of these men in the proposed scheme?
I am not aware of the facts relating to the present employees of the Dublin County Council to which the Deputy refers but, in any event, I very greatly fear that such men would not be eligible for pension, as the general proposals would be to establish a scheme more or less on a contributory basis. It is a matter which is not merely the concern of my own Department but of other Departments of State and, for that reason and for the reason which I mentioned in my last reply to the Deputy, there has been necessarily a considerable amount of time involved in considering the matter. I am pressing it forward and hope to be able to introduce proposals before the end of the calendar year.
The Minister will undertake to consider these men?
I should not like to bind myself to that, as I have no knowledge of the circumstances. If they have been a long time in the service and are due for retirement, I am very much afraid it will not be possible to cover them in this Superannuation Bill.