asked the Minister for Finance whether he is aware that persons who have contributed during their lives to benevolent or other funds and so become entitled to pensions in their old age are penalised by the present regulations by which such pensions are taken into consideration for the purposes of the Old Age Pensions Acts, and whether he will consider the advisability of introducing proposals for legislation whereby, in the cases of such pensions not exceeding 15/- per week, 10/- per week thereof shall not be reckoned as "means" for the purpose of calculating the old age pension to which the pensioner becomes entitled.
CEISTEANNA—QUESTIONS. ORAL ANSWERS. - OLD AGE PENSIONS.
There is no power under the law to exclude from the calculation of means for old age pension purposes pensions of the nature referred to by the Deputy in the first part of his question. I regret that I am unable to entertain the Deputy's suggestion for amendment of the law in the direction indicated in the second part of the question.