Le hAlt 1 tugtar údarás reachtúil le haghaidh na méaduithe ar phinsin faoi Achtanna na bPinsean Seirbhíse Míleata, 1924 go 1953, i leith fianas sa tréimhse 1916 go 1923, a deonadh le héifeacht ón lú Lúnasa, 1959, ar údarás Meastacháin Bhreise le haghaidh pinsean a ritheadh i nDáil Éireann ar 22 ú Iúil, 1959. Meastar £34,000 mar an gcostas bliantúil agus tá na méaduithe de réir mar a deonadh do phinsinéirí Stáit i gcoitinne agus a údaraíodh ag an Aire Airgeadais ina Ráiteas ar an gCáinaisnéis in Aibreán, 1959.
Le h-Alt 2 den Bhille is feidir tuarascálacha diúltacha a rinne an Réiteoir do cheartú i dhá chás ar leith inar léir é a bheith ar intinn aige tuarascálacha dearfacha a dhéanamh— beart go ndeonfaí deimhnithe seirbhíse agus pinsin dá bharr faoi Acht na bPinsean Seirbhíse Míleata, 1934. Cuireadh an dá chá sin de láimh an tseachtain dheireanach de shealbhaíocht oifige an Réiteora le linn dó bheith tinn sa bhaile agus cur-as a bheith déanta dá dhroim sin don ghnáth-chomhar idir an gCoiste Comhairlitheach agus an Réiteoir. Idir an dá linn, fuair an Réiteoir bás agus is é a beartaíodh sa Bhille ar dtús an tAire a cheartú an dá earráid sin le comhaontú beirt chomhaltaí den Choiste Comhairlitheach a bhí ag cabhrú leis an Réiteoir agus na cásanna á scrúdú. Le hómós, áfach, dá raibh molta ina thaobh seo le linn an Dara Léamh i nDáil Éireann, tá aontaithe agam le foráil a chur isteach trína bhféadfar na ceartúcháin a dhéanamh ag breitheamh den Chúirt Chuarda nó ag abhcóide a bhfuil cleachtadh deich mbliana ar a laghad, aige.
Ní dóigh liom go mbeidh aon deacracht ann do Sheanadóirí aontú leis an mBille.
Section 1 of the Bill gives statutory authority for the increases in pensions under the Military Service Pensions Acts 1924 to 1953 in respect of active service in the period 1916 to 1923 which were granted with effect from 1st August 1959, on the authority of a Supplementary Estimate for pensions passed in Dáil Éireann on 22nd July 1959. The annual cost is estimated at £34,000 and the increases are in accordance with those for State pensioners, generally, authorised by the Minister for Finance in his Budget Statement in April 1959.
Section 2 of the Bill provides for the correction of negative reports made by the Referee in two cases where it was clearly his intention to make affirmative reports which would have resulted in the award of service certificates and pensions under the Military Service Pensions Act, 1934. Both cases were dealt with in the last week of the Referee's tenure of office when he was ill at his home and when the normal working of the Advisory Committee with the Referee was, therefore, disorganised. The Referee has since died and the original proposal in the Bill was that these two errors should be corrected by the Minister with the concurrence of two of the members of the Advisory Committee who assisted the Referee in the investigation of the cases. In deference, however, to representations which were made on the Second Reading in Dáil Éireann, I have agreed to a provision that the corrections may be made by a judge of the Circuit Court or a practising barrister of at least ten years' standing.
I do not think that Senators will have any difficulty in agreeing to the measure.
