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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 12 Feb 1969

Vol. 238 No. 6

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Widows of Civil Servants.

43.

asked the Minister for Finance the known numbers of widows of civil servants alive at the present time.

I understand the Deputy's question refers to widows of former civil servants. The information sought is not available as the marital status of most former civil servants is not known.

In replying to a somewhat similar question yesterday on the same subject, the Minister for Finance said that, while he might be prepared to consider a second scheme for these widows, he could not include them in the present scheme because the scheme is a contributory one. Is it not a fact that existing civil servants have offered to increase their contribution of 1½ per cent to an amount which would buy the existing widows in?

I do not think that is a fact. Certainly, I am not aware of it.

Is it no also a fact that existing widows have agreed to pay the ten per cent of all salary received back to 1928 in order to buy themselves in? Is it not also part of the Minister's scheme that, in the case of a married man who does not tell his Department that he has been married and who dies, his widow can, in fact, buy herself in? I ask the Minister to look again at the scheme to see if these widows can be included.

The Deputy says that existing civil servants have offered to increase their contributions to include the widows of former civil servants in this scheme. I am not aware of that. I do not say it has not happened, but I am not aware of it. I doubt very much if it could have happened because it would be very costly indeed to bring in all public service widows.

The widows of former civil servants are very limited in number.

This would have to apply right through the public service.

Are Garda and Army widows covered in the scheme?

Not at the moment, but I suppose if anything were being done they would have to be considered.

Is there any possibility that the Minister could make an estimate of all the widows involved, including the widows of Garda and Army men?

The only thing I could do is make a shot at it.

It would be useful to know the size of the problem.

Going on the basis of the mortality rates, the indications are that the problem would be quite extensive.

Am I mistaken in believing that the problem is something in the order of 500 widows?

The number is bigger than that. There are many more involved.

The Minister could bear in mind the standing regulations under which the widow of a civil servant, who was herself a civil servant prior to marriage, is usually allowed to re-enter the service.

I have been looking at the matter from that aspect and the Government and I are very fully aware of the wide interest there is in this problem. We have been looking at it from many different angles, including the possibility of offering employment to widows who were not themselves civil servants. There are difficulties in that also. No matter from what angle one tackles the problem one finds difficulties.

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