I move:—
That a supplementary sum not exceeding £167,300 be granted to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1953, for Primary Education, including National School Teachers' Superannuation and a Grant-in-Aid, etc.
The main item in this Supplementary Estimate is the provision of £130,000 under the new sub-head DDto pay the first instalment of the ex gratiapayments in the nature of lump sums which it has been decided to make to pensioned national teachers who retired before 1st January, 1950. National teachers retiring on or after that date are entitled to lump sums under the National School Teachers' Superannuation (Amendment) Scheme. 1950, viz., 1/30th of pensionable salary for each year of pensionable service, up to a maximum of 45/30ths. It is now proposed to amend the superannuation schemes further so as to allow of payments in the nature of lump sums to those on pension on 1st January, 1950, calculated as follows:—
(a) 1/30th of average annual salary for each completed year of pensionable service rendered between 1st January, 1935, and 31st December, 1949, inclusive, and
(b) 1/100th of average annual salary for each other completed year of pensionable service rendered between 1st January, 1905, and 31st December, 1949, inclusive.
Payment will be made in three equal annual instalments, except where the total amount payable does not exceed £50, when it will be paid in one sum. The total cost is estimated at £350,000. The amount now provided—£130,000— covers payment in full of the sums under £50 at an estimated cost of £20,000, together with one-third of the balance of £330,000, viz., £110,000. The necessary preliminary work is well advanced and it is hoped to make the first payment before the end of the month.
An extra £20,000 is needed under sub-head D to meet the ordinary pensions, gratuities, etc., under the superannuation schemes. It has turned out that the estimate of the amount required for the current financial year was too tightly drawn.
An additional £8,500 is required for preparatory colleges. Of this, about £4,000 is attributable to increases in the remuneration of the professorial staffs, which were granted after the Estimate for the current financial year had been prepared. The balance is due to increases in the cost of board and of books and other requisites.
An extra £3,000 is required for van and boat services. The grant for Protestant van services has been increased by £600 to £4,800. A new bus service was started last autumn for the conveyance of children from the Finglas district to schools in the city (Gardiner Street Convent for girls and infant boys and St. Joseph's, East Wall for boys) pending the provision of schools in Finglas. This service will cost about £600 in the current financial year. The balance of the additional sum required is attributable to an increase in the cost of existing services.
An extra £3,000 is needed for grants towards the cost of heating and cleaning national schools. Broadly speaking, the State recoups one-half of the amount spent locally, and it looks as if the provision of £63,000 for the current financial year will be about £3,000 short.
Under sub-head B, Examinations, an additional £1,800 is required to meet the cost of increases in the payments to superintendents, assistant superintendents, oral examiners, etc., given after the Estimate for this year was prepared. There has also been an increase in the number of candidates sitting for the examinations.
The extra money for training colleges is needed to meet an increase in the grants to two colleges.
