Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 18 Dec 1975

Vol. 286 No. 12

Vote 13: Superannuation and Retired Allowances.

Mr. R. Ryan

I move:

That a supplementary sum not exceeding £150,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 1975, for pensions, superannuation, compensation (including workmen's compensation), and additional and other allowances and gratuities under the Superannuation Acts, 1834 to 1963, and sundry other statutes; extra-statutory pensions, allowances and gratuities awarded by the Minister for the Public Service; fees to medical referees and occasional fees to doctors; compensation and other payments in respect of personal injuries; etc.

Mr. Colley

Do these payments cover general pensions in the public service?

Mr. R. Ryan

Yes.

Mr. Colley

The Minister may recall that on a previous year I raised a point and I think I raised it again last year. Speaking from recollection I think the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs was standing in for the Minister for Finance on this particular issue. The point I raised was that there has tended to be an undue delay in dealing with the granting of gratuities and pensions to persons retiring in the public service, the public service in its widest sense. I have known of cases of considerable hardship arising from this kind of delay. I was urging that every effort be made to avoid this delay, in my view, in most cases being avoidable. I think that, when I raised this last year, the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs told me that, shortly before that, a special direction had gone out from the Minister for Finance in this regard. I wonder if the Minister for Finance could now tell me whether there has been any improvement in regard to the delay of which I am speaking.

Mr. R. Ryan

Certainly additional staff were engaged in this section. I suppose absence of complaints is usually an indication of improvement. The complaints I now receive personally are very, very rare. In fact, I cannot recall when I last received one, whereas a couple of years ago complaints were not infrequent.

Vote put and agreed to.