asked the Minister for Finance the reason for the long delay in paying gratuity payments to those workers who were made redundant by the Office of Public Works on the Boyne drainage scheme; and when he intends to sanction these payments.
Written Answers. - Gratuity Payments.
547.
There has been no undue delay in processing payment of benefits under the Non-Contributory Pension Scheme for non-established State employees to former employees of the Boyne Drainage Scheme who were made refundant by the Office of Public Works. A total of 128 drainage workers (72 on the Boyne Drainage Scheme, 26 on the Maigue Drainage Scheme and 30 on the Corrib-Mask-Robe Drainage Scheme) were made redundant at fortnightly intervals between 2 March 1984 and 13 April 1984.
Each of these cases has had to be examined in the context of the Non-Contributory Pension Scheme, including, in many cases, investigation and verification of potentially pensionable service with employers other than the Office of Public Works, in addition to the not inconsiderable continuous volume of cases being processed for the award of pensions and lump sums on age or ill-health retirement in all areas of the Office of Public Works's employment and the award of death gratuities and pensions to widows and children of deceased employees.
Employees of the Boyne and other drainage schemes and their trade unions have been consistently advised on a number of occasions that in view of the very heavy additional work load involved, it would take at least two or three months after cessation of employment before the lump sum under the pension scheme, associated with redundancy, could be paid. In the case of all former employees of the Boyne Drainage Scheme, who have been found to be entitled to benefits under the pension scheme, and who were made redundant on 2 and 16 March, and some of those who were made redundant on 30 March, payments of the pension lump sum has been authorised within the past week or will be authorised within the next week. The remaining cases will be finalised as expeditiously as possible.