asked the Minister for Defence if he will state when noncommissioned officers and men, in service prior to September 3rd, 1939, in the Regular Army will receive the gratuities described in paragraph 47 of the White Paper tabled in May, 1945; and whether they will receive interest on the amount due as from the date when it accrued due.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Army Gratuities.
With the exception of a small number of cases in which there are special circumstances, all eligible non-commissioned officers and men of the permanent force who were in service prior to 3rd September, 1939, and who were not due for demobilisation at the end of the emergency have been paid their emergency gratuities. The outstanding cases are being dealt with as they arise.
The answer to the second part of the question is in the negative.
Was there at any time any suggestion made that interest would be paid on sums outstanding after the date on which they accrued due?
No.
So that persons entitled to a gratuity are not entitled to that under the scheme?
Actually, the outstanding cases are the cases of men who, in the main, were only leaving the Army in the last month. The last month was the end of the emergency service for soldiers, and these few cases that have yet to be dealt with would not, in the normal way, have been due until such time as they were leaving. They have now left and their gratuities are being paid.
Would a situation arise in which a regular soldier who served before 1939 and intended to remain on in the Army becomes entitled to a gratuity under this scheme?
There are probably a few cases left of that type where men at the last moment decided to continue in the Army. Now that they have made their decision their gratuities will be paid over.