asked the Minister for Finance if he will state when he proposes to introduce proposals for legislation to amend the Blind Persons Act.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Amendment of Blind Persons Act.
The matter, which is highly technical in some aspects, has received further consideration, and I am reluctantly being driven to the conclusion that it is practically impossible to frame an amending Bill which will relieve the few cases of hardship which the Committee of Inquiry had in mind without opening the door too wide and enormously increasing the cost as well as creating many grievances in other directions. I cannot, therefore, indicate when it will be possible to introduce a Bill.
Am I to take it from the Minister's answer that he is not going to introduce the Bill which he promised two years ago?
The Deputy might almost take that. It has not been proved possible so far to find any formula that would amend the Act without opening the door too widely and increasing the cost beyond what it should be.
Does not the Minister admit that under existing legislation there is a great deal of hardship? Does the Minister not agree that the Committee dealt with the question fairly effectively and that it was proved to the satisfaction of the Minister that great hardships have been inflicted on certain persons owing to the tight way in which the present Act has been drafted?
There are hardships in a certain number of cases. If we could relieve those hardships without doubling or without adding 75 per cent. to the number of the pensioners, we would certainly be glad to do it. In the meantime, while legislation has not been introduced, the Act has been administered in a spirit which gives the maximum of benefit and which gives the benefit of the doubt in all cases to applicants for blind pensions.