asked the Minister for Education whether proposals will be introduced, in the near future, for the purpose of increasing the pensions payable to retired national teachers; and if so, whether he will indicate when such proposals will be made available to members of the House.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Teachers' Pensions.
asked the Minister for Education if he will state the number of pensioned teachers in the State who are in receipt of pensions of from 15/- to £3 a week; and if it is intended to review these pensions at an early date, having regard to the present high cost of living.
asked the Minister for Education if he has received representations from public bodies and other organisations concerning the present financial plight of many retired national teachers; and if, in view of the important role which they have played in the life of the nation, he will have their present pensions increased to meet the rising cost of living.
I propose to take questions Nos. 46, 47 and 48 together.
I presume the pensioners Deputy Cafferky has in mind are national teacher pensioners. There are 1,898 such in receipt of pensions of from 15/- to £3 per week.
I have received representations urging an increase in the pensions of national school teachers, but I have nothing to add to my reply of the 28th January last to Deputy Alfred Byrne when I said that the claims of retired national school teachers for increased pensions could not be considered alone and apart from similar claims by other classes of superannuated public servants. Any question of improving their position would, necessarily, depend on the Government deciding to review the question of pensions generally and no such decision has been taken.
Is the Minister aware that national school teachers are not paid pensions equal to those paid to other public servants, for instance, Local Government officials? Is it not time that something should be done to help those teachers who spent their lives trying to teach two languages to children?
Is the Minister not aware that there are many pensioned teachers who are in receipt of only 15/- per week and who have family responsibilities? Is he not aware that these teachers in their day played a great part in moulding the characters of men sitting on these benches to-day and in helping to develop the Irish language and to further the Irish national cause? Is that the only appreciation that the Minister and the Government have for the men and women who made such great sacrifices in days gone by, to give them a miserable pension of 15/- a week which has no relation to the present cost of living?
Has the Minister adverted to the fact that about 1918 a radical change was made in the status and remuneration of national teachers in this country as a result of the exertions of the representatives of our people at the time? There are a number of old teachers in this country whose pensions are based on the deplorable rates of pay which obtained prior to that new departure. They have no family responsibilities, of course; they are very old people. Will the Minister, in respect of that restricted class, at least make some ad interim concession which will enable them at least to live respectably, because I believe many of them to be hungry, and thus, by restricting it to a very limited class, clearly defined, remove it from the scope of the general principle which the Minister for Finance might object to on the ground that it would be of universal application? These are cases which should be considered.
Might I point out that I know of some pensioned teachers who have family responsibilities and who have to live on a pension of £1 per week?
I am talking about a special category—the pre-1918 retirals.