§ Sir H. O'Neillasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give a statement of the pensions now being paid to retired members of the Royal Irish Constabulary classified in accordance with the dates of retirement, including subsequent increases; and how far these pensions are permanent and stabilised.
§ Mr. EdeThe amount of these awards varies according to the length of service and the pay on retirement of the individual pensioner, of whom there are nearly 9,000, and the information for which the right hon. Gentleman asks could not be obtained without an examination of the facts of each particular case. Information as to the types of award and the total amount paid annually in respect of each class of award is given in the Civil Estimates (Class VIII).
These awards may be forfeited for misconduct, suspended during service in another police force, abated in respect of a second police pension, and in some cases commuted for a lump sum payment. Apart from these provisions the awards were originally assessed at a fixed rate throughout the pensioner's lifetime, but the Pensions (Increase) Acts, 1920 to 1947, apply to them as they do to other comparable pensions payable in respect of public service.