The views of this Party were expressed on this subject when it was under discussion in the House a fortnight or so ago. We were anxious that the rights which the old age pensioners and blind pensioners enjoyed before the passing of the 1924 Act should be fully restored to them. That is what we would like to have done, but the Government and the House thought otherwise. A majority decided to accept the amendment proposed at the time by the Minister for Finance. We may take it that the Bill now before us is constructed on the principle of the amendment then passed. We do not take this Bill, or the proposals contained in it, as a satisfactory fulfilment of the things that we would like to have done for, or the rights that we would like to have restored to, the old age pensioners of the country, but in so far as the Bill restores part of their rights we are satisfied with and do not propose to offer any opposition to it.
I would like to add my voice to the appeal made by Deputy Morrissey for more lenient treatment for the blind. In the vast majority of cases, probably, their blindness is an affliction of Providence. Therefore, they are not in a position to help themselves. They are a class in the community that the State, if they can afford to do it at all, ought to treat with more than ordinary generosity. I would like to emphasise the point that it is our view that the request put forward by Deputy Morrissey, if it can be done at all, should be acceded to so far as the blind are concerned.
There is a general feeling, which, I think, is not confined to any Party in the House, that the administration of the Old Age Pensions Act by the officials in the Department of Finance, who are naturally acting under the instructions of the Minister, has been too severe. The difficulties placed in the way of some old age pensioners as regards getting the pension seem to be too difficult and extravagant. Cases have been brought before the House by Deputies from all Parties. Scarcely a day passes that some question is not asked with regard to some old age pensioner in the country whose claim to a pension has been admitted by the local committee, but which has been turned down either by the local inspector or the Department of Finance. Cases have been brought to my own notice where difficulty was experienced by blind persons in securing evidence such as a baptismal certificate on which to base a claim. Such certificates could not be got for one reason or another. Of course, we know there is a difficulty with regard to the census. It is fairly common. Notwithstanding that, some cases have been brought to my notice where no less than three sworn affidavits were submitted to the Department and to the inspector by people of repute in support of claims to pensions made by old people. The persons making the affidavits offered their testimony that the person applying for the pension had reached the age limit required, but even that testimony was not accepted by the Department, although there was no question as to the reliability or respectability of the witnesses who made the affidavits.
My opinion is—and I think it is not alone the opinion of my friends on this side of the House, but that it is fairly general amongst members of the House and in the country—that the screws have been applied too tightly in the administration, and that there should be a relaxation and a little loosening up of the rules governing the admission of evidence of age and also on the question of income. Of course I take it this law will be passed limiting the amount of income, but even within the law unamended as it stands, or amended as it will be, there should be a considerable amount of alleviation of the sufferings of these people if the officials were permitted, under the instructions of the Minister, to exercise a little more leniency in their treatment of applicants. I think in cases of the kind which I mentioned, where there have been three affidavits of people in the neighbourhood, some of whom had good reasons for knowing all the particulars concerning the applicant for a pension, evidence of that kind should be taken. Further than that we on this side have nothing more to say with regard to the Bill. It is not now in our province or in our power to increase the benefits to be given to old age pensioners. If we had that power we would do so, but there is no use in going into that again. We have already expressed our views, but we do take some credit for the fact that one of the first fruits of our coming into this Dáil has been to secure for these old age pensioners some of the rights which were filched from them and which are now being restored, largely, we claim, owing to the fact that we are here.