I move:
That Dáil Éireann hereby approves of the scheme for contributory pensions for Members entitled Houses of the Oireachtas (Members) Pensions Scheme which was made by a Joint Committee of both Houses of the Oireachtas on 1st December, 1960, and forms the Appendix to the Committee's Report (T.175) which was laid before Dáil Éireann on 8th December, 1960.
I assume that most members are aware of the provisions of this motion and, therefore, no very minute explanation is required from me. Deputies know that legislative provision for this motion was made in the Bill dealing with the allowances to Deputies and Senators passed last year. It is under the provision in that Bill that this motion has been brought in.
Shortly after the passing of the Bill the Committee on Procedure and Privileges, constituted of both Houses, appointed an informal committee which spent a good deal of time in producing a scheme generally acceptable to the two Houses. We are indebted to the Committee for the time and labour they put into their task. This is a group scheme of a kind which might, indeed, be adopted by any group in the country. It is entirely contributory and will get no contribution whatsoever from the State. If approved by the House, contributions will be taken compulsorily at source from the allowances paid to every Deputy and Senator.
Superannuation will be payable to any Deputy or Senator with more than ten years' service in either House or both Houses of the Oireachtas. Ten years was taken because the committee considered, first of all, that a person could not have ten years' service unless he was elected at least three times to the Dáil or Seanad. They thought that a person who had spent three terms in the Dáil or in the Seanad would have his chances of rehabilitation in his own original employment very much reduced by his absence from his ordinary vocation and, for that reason, he would require some help to assist him in rehabilitating himself should he leave either the Dáil or the Seanad.
Payment will be at the rate of 1/60th of the allowance, whatever the allowance may be for each year of service. There is one saver; a person may not draw more than £1,000 by way of pension from public funds. That will apply, in particular, to ex-Ministers and ex-Parliamentary Secretaries. Between the two kinds of service the superannuation may not exceed £1,000. It is hoped that the scheme will be solvent. It is, however, a very difficult scheme to get any actuary to consider. He would, in fact, want to be a good politician, as well as being an actuary, to forecast the way in which the scheme may work out.