Is é príomh-chuspóir an Bhille éifeacht reachtúil a thabhairt do na méaduithe ar phinsin chréachta ar phinsin mhíchumais agus ar phinsin phósta agus ar liúntais áirithe do chleithiúnaithe daoine marbha a deonadh ón lú Lúnasa, 1960, amach, ar údarás, Meastacháin Bhreise le haghaidh pinsean a ritheadh i nDáil Éireann ar an 20ú Iúil, 1960.
Tríd is tríd, tá na méaduithe sin, a bhfuil tráchta déanta orthu in Alt 2 go hAlt 23 go huile, agus in Altanna 25, 26 agus 27, de réir na méaduithe le haghaidh pinsinéirí Stáit, i gcoitinne, a údaraíodh ag an Aire Airgeadais ina Ráiteas ar an gCáinaisnéis in Aibreán, 1960, ach nuair a luaitear an céad dáta cáilithe maidir le hurscaoileadh, meastar, ós dáta an lú Meán Fómhair, 1949, a ghabhann le hathrú ar phá an Airm, go bhfuil sé níos oiriúnaí ina leith sin ná an lú Samhain, 1948 — is é sin, an dáta a luadh sa Ráiteas Cáinaisnéise do phinsinéirí eile Stáit. Tá pinsinéirí oifigeach a bhfuil a bpinsin gaolmhar do phá, ag fáil méaduithe de 7½% nó do 5% (de réir an dáta urscaoilte) agus tá pinsinéirí eile faoi na hAchtanna, nach bhfuil a bpinsin gaolmhar do phá an Airm, ag fáil méadú de 7½%. Tá liúntaisí cleithiúnaigh (lena n-áirítear liúntas is iníoctha do bhaintreach Síniúir Forógra 1916) á méadú, i gcoitinne, de 7½% comh maith, ach beidh an ráta méaduithe de 5% i bhfeidhm i gcás liúntais is iníoctha de dhreifiúracha agus leanaí Síniúir Forógra 1916 agus i gcás liúntais is iníoctha faoi Cuid II d'Acht 1953 do ghaolta fir a thug seirbhís réamh-Shosa agus atá marbh; de bhrí gur socruíodh rátaí bunaidh na liúntas seo i ndiaidh an chéad dáta cinnteach, 1 Samhain, 1948, a luadh san Ráiteas ar an gCáinaisnéis. Meastar go gcosnóidh na méaduithe seo, go léir, £17,102 in aghaidh na bliana.
Luadh san Ráiteas ar an gCáinaisnéis go raibh sé i gceist suim bhreise de £30,000 a chur ar fáil lena méadófaí liúntaisí speisialta is iníoctha faoi na hAchtanna de dhaoine ag a bhfuil pinsin as míchumas is inchurtha i leith seirbhís réamh-Shosa, dóibh siúd atá i dteidil pinsean faoi Achtanna na bPinsean Seirbhíse Míleata nó na hAchtanna um na Connaught Rangers (Pinsin) agus do dhaoine ag a bhfuil boinn i leith seirbhíse le heagraíochtaí áirithe nó mar chomhaltaí díobhtha sin. Taréis breithniú mionchruinn a dhéanamh ar an gceist, beartaíodh suim bhreise gar do £75,000 sa bhliain a chaitheamh d'fhonn liúntaisí speisialta a mhéadú, in áit an £30,000 a bhí i gceist. Beidh éifeacht ag na méaduithe sin ón 6ú Eanáir, 1961, i leith — 'sé seo dáta tosnuithe na bPinsean nua Sean-Aoise (Ranníocach) faoi na hAchtanna Leasa Shóisialaigh — agus meastar go gcosnóidh na méaduithe £11,000 sa bhliain reatha.
Tugann Alt 24 den Bhille éifeacht dona méaduithe atá beartaithe sna "suimeanna bliantúla iomchuí". Méaduítear iad de £13 sa bhliain, ach, i gcás nach bhfuil pinsean sean-aoise ranníocach iníochtha le duine pósta in aois 70 nó ós a chionn agus nach bhfuil pinsean sean-aoise ar bith nó pinsean dalla ag a chéile, sé £36 10s. sa bhliain ráta an mhéadú. Cómh maith leis seo, tá £1 6s. sa bhreis le haghaidh gach pháiste ináirithe.
Sé cuspóir atá aga na méaduithe do dhaoine in aois 70 mbliain nó ós a chionn — cómh maith le measú mar mhaoin na bPinsean sean-aoise — go mbéadh, ag pinsinéirí sean-aoise, idir pinsean (nó pinsin) sean-aoise, maoin eile in-mheasúnaithe agus liúntas speisialta suim gar do £4 sa tseachtain i gcás daoine pósta agus £3 2s. 6d. sa tseachtain i gcás na ndaoine neamhphósta.
Tá súil agam go bhfaighidh Seanadóirí sa ghearr-chuntas seo ar théarmaí an Bhille, léargas ginerálta ar a bhfuil sa Bhille ar fad.
The main object of this Bill is to give statutory effect to the increases in wound, disability and married pensions and in certain allowances to dependants of deceased persons which were granted from 1st August, 1960, on the authority of a Supplementary Estimate for pensions passed in Dáil Éireann on 20th July, 1960.
The increases, which are dealt with in Sections 2 to 23 inclusive, 25, 26 and 27, are broadly in accordance with the increases for State pensioners, generally, authorised by the Minister for Finance in his Budget Statement in April, 1960, except that where the first qualifying date of discharge is mentioned, 1st September, 1949, being a date associated with an Army pay change, is considered to be more appropriate than 1st November, 1948, the date mentioned in the Budget Statement for other State pensioners. Officer pensioners whose pensions are related to pay are receiving 7½% or 5% increases, depending on date of discharge, and other pensioners under the Acts, whose pensions are not related to Army pay are receiving an increase of 7½%. Dependants' allowances, including that payable to the widow of a Signatory of the 1916 Proclamation are, generally, being increased by 7½% also, but the allowances payable to the sisters and children of Signatories as well as those payable under Part II of the Act of 1953 to relatives of deceased pre-Truce servicemen qualify for the lower rate of increases (5%) because the basic rates of these allowances were fixed after the first critical date, 1st November, 1948, mentioned in the Budget Statement. The estimated annual cost of these increases is £17,102.
Reference was made in the Budget Statement to the proposed allocation of a further sum of approximately £30,000 to increasing special allowances payable under the Acts to persons in receipt of pensions for disablement attributable to pre-Truce service, to persons eligible for pensions under the Military Service Pensions Acts or the Connaught Rangers (Pensions) Acts and to holders of medals in respect of service with, or membership of, certain organisations. Following detailed consideration of the position it has been decided to allocate approximately £75,000 a year, instead of the £30,000 originally envisaged, to the improvement of special allowances. These improvements will take effect from 6th January, 1961, which is also the date of commencement for the new old age (contributory) pensions under the Social Welfare Acts and the cost of the increases expected to fall as a charge on the current year's Vote is estimated at £11,000.
Section 24 of the Bill provides for the increase of the "appropriate annual sums". These now become higher by £13 per annum except in the case where an old age contributory pension is not payable to a married man or woman of seventy years or over and such person's spouse is not in receipt of an old age, contributory or non-contributory, pension or a blind pension when the rate of increase is £36.10.0 per annum. As well, there is an increase of £1.6.0 a year for each reckonable child.
The effect of the increases in the case of persons of seventy years and over, taken in conjunction with the assessment as means of old age pensions is that an old age pensioner should have by way of old age pension or pensions, other assessable means and special allowance combined a sum of £4 a week approximately if married and £3.2.6 a week if single.
I trust that this précis of the terms of the Bill will have furnished Senators with an outline of what is contained in the measure.