Richard Bruton
Ceist:45 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Defence if he will consider Christmas bonus payments to Army pensioners. [14796/99]
Written Answers. - Defence Forces Pensioners.
Any proposals to pay a Christmas bonus to Defence Forces pensioners would have to be considered in the context of public service pensions generally. There are no funds available to my Department at present to pay such a bonus.
Normally, Defence Forces pensions – including those of dependants of deceased personnel – are revised in line with general increases in the pay of serving personnel of corresponding rank. The current rates of Defence Forces pensions include the general round of pay increases made to serving personnel under phases 1 and 2 of the pay agreement to Partnership 2000 as follows: 2 per cent payable in two instalments from 1 July 1997 and from 1 April 1998; and 2 per cent payable from 1 July 1998.
Richard Bruton
Ceist:46 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Defence if the provision will be reviewed whereby some Army widows have been denied any pension due to the fact their husbands were unable to afford the buy-in charge; and if the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 17 will be reviewed. [14797/99]
The position is that prior to 1978 there was no provision for the payment of pensions by this Department to the widows and children of deceased soldiers. Such provision was first made in 1978 when a contributory pension scheme for those dependants was introduced. All soldiers serving at the time were afforded the opportunity of joining the new contributory scheme or of opting out of membership. Indeed, soldiers who failed to exercise any option were included as members, with only those who made a positive option in writing not to become members being excluded from membership.
For those who had opted out of the contributory scheme in 1977-78, a second opportunity to make provision for their dependants was given in 1985. In addition to soldiers serving in 1985, this opportunity was made available to ex-soldiers who had retired on pension since 1 June 1977 and who had previously opted out of the scheme. In the case of pensioners, the required contributions to the scheme could have been met by way of either periodic contributions from pension or payment of a lump sum.
As a serving soldier the husband of the person in question opted out of membership of the contributory scheme before its commencement in 1978 and did not avail of the opportunity to become a member in 1985 as a pensioner.
It is not possible to retrospectively change the conditions of the scheme at this stage. In the circumstances, I regret the person in question is not eligible for a pension under the scheme.