asked the Minister for Defence if he will have arrangements made whereby single officers of the Defence Forces will qualify for resettlement grants after serving the requisite number of years, as is the case in relation to married officers.
48.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Army Resettlement Grants.
47.
asked the Minister for Defence whether he has received representations from single officers of the Defence Forces that retiring single officers should receive a resettlement grant in like manner as married officers who retire on serving the requisite number of years; and, if so, what action he proposes to take on this matter.
49.
asked the Minister for Defence if he is prepared to extend the system of paying gratuities on retiral to single officers.
I propose, a Cheann Comhairle, with your permission to take Question Nos. 47, 48 and 49 together.
I have received the representations referred to.
I would like to explain that the Defence Forces Pensions Schemes are a separate and comprehensive code of superannuation catering for the conditions peculiar to military service, and the principles on which they are based are not similar to those of other superannuation codes.
As regards the particular aspect raised by the Deputies, evidently the original scheme of 1937 took the line that married officers, who might be living in married quarters in barracks or living in private houses at places other than where they intended to settle on retirement, should be paid a retirement gratuity to assist them in setting up home afresh. A single officer would not be likely to have as great a problem in this respect and hence no gratuity was provided for him.
Is the Minister aware that many retiring single officers are completely dependent on the pension they receive as they are unable to make provision for their retirement out of the relatively small pay they get compared to the pay of married officers?
That would suggest the introduction of a new principle into the scheme. A single officer has his service pension.