Irish Church Act 1869

15Compensation to curates.

The Commissioners shall inquire whether any curate, serving as such at any time between the first day of January one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine and first day of January one thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, is to be deemed a permanent curate, and shall determine the same, having regard to the length or term of his service, the duties to be discharged in the benefice, the non-residence, infirmity, or other incapacity of the incumbent, or his habit of employing a curate. The Commissioners shall ascertain, and declare by order the amount of yearly income received by any such permanent curate, and shall pay to every such curate so long as he lives and continues to discharge the duties of his said curacy, or any other spiritual duties in Ireland, which with his own consent and with the consent of the Church body herein-after mentioned may be substituted for them, or if not discharging such duties shall be disabled from so doing by age, sickness, or permanent infirmity, or any cause other than his own wilful default, an annuity commencing on the first day of January one thousand eight hundred and seventy-one equal to the amount of such yearly income, or shall on the application of such curate, made at any time between the first day of January one thousand eight hundred and seventy-one and the first day of January one thousand eight hundred and seventy-two, and with the consent of the Church body herein-after mentioned, cause the present value of such life annuity to be estimated, and pay the same to such curate or to such curate and Church body in such proportions as they shall agree: Provided that where the salary of a curate has been deducted under section fourteen from the income of any incumbent, such curate shall be deemed to be a permanent curate within the meaning of this section; and no commutation of his salary, and no change in his duties for the purposes of this Act, shall he made without the consent of the incumbent from whose income the salary of such curate has been deducted.

The Commissioners may make to any curate who is not entitled to compensation as a permanent curate, and who is serving as a curate on any day between the said first day of January one thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine and the said first day of January one thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, both inclusive, such gratuity for the loss of his curacy as they may think just, so that the amount thereof do not exceed twenty-five pounds for every year during which he shall have served as a curate : Provided always, that in any case in which the period of service of any curate shall not amount to eight years, the Commissioners may make up such gratuity to the sum of two hundred pounds : Provided also, that such gratuity shall in no case exceed the sum of six hundred

When any annual sum granted by Parliament to the holder of any benefice in or connected with the said Church is discontinued, the Commissioners shall ascertain and declare by order the amount of yearly income of which such holder is thereby deprived, after making such deductions as aforesaid, and the Commissioners shall, as from the day of the discontinuance thereof, pay each year to every such holder so long as he lives and continues to discharge such duties as aforesaid an annuity equal to the amount of yearly income so ascertained as aforesaid.