asked the Minister for Defence if it is proposed to grant increases in pension to officers and men of the Defence Forces who retired after the completion of their period of service, and, if so, if these increases in pension will apply to all retired personnel irrespective of the date of retirement.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Defence Forces Pensions.
The Deputy will by now have received a copy of the Defence Forces (Pensions) (Amendment) Scheme, 1953, which deals with this matter and which will be the subject of a Resolution in the House.
The increases for which it provides will apply only to personnel who, before retirement or discharge, were eligible for the service pay increases which came into operation on the 1st September, 1949, and the 15th January, 1951.
Is it not a fact that a number of officers were induced to retire from the Defence Forces at the end of the emergency and is it fair to discriminate against them now in favour of officers who remained on and who did not accept the inducements held out to them to retire?
It is not correct to say that they were induced to retire. There is almost a suggestion that they were forced.
I do not wish to suggest that they were forced.
That is not the position. Facilities were offered to all such officers if work was available and quite a number of these officers availed of that opportunity to leave the Defence Forces and accept employment in civilian occupations.