Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 1 Jul 1936

Vol. 63 No. 6

Committee on Finance. - Vote 7—Old Age Pensions.

Mr. MacEntee

I move:—

Go ndeontar suim ná raghaidh thar £2,316,850 chun slánuithe na suime is gá chun íoctha an Mhuirir a thiocfai lh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na b ana dar críoch an 31adh lá de Mhárta, 1937, chun íoctha Pinsean Sean-Aois (8 Edw. 7, c. 40; 1 agus 2 Geo. 5, c. 16; 9 agus 10 Geo. 5, c. 102; Uimh. 19 de 1924, Uimh. 1 de 1928, agus Uimh. 18 de 1932); chun Pinsean do dhaill (Uimh. 18 de 1932); agus chun Costaisí Riaracháin áirithe bhaineann leo san.

That a sum not exceeding £2,316,850 be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of March, 1937, for the payment of Old Age Pensions (8 Edw. 7, c. 40; 1 and 2 Geo. 5, c. 16; 9 and 10 Geo. 5, c. 102; No. 19 of 1924, No. 1 of 1928, and No. 18 of 1932); for pensions to blind persons (No. 18 of 1932); and for certain Administrative Expenses in connection therewith.

Mr. Corish

I should like to take this opportunity of referring to the difficulties encountered in the getting of doctors' certificates by claimants for blind pensions. Perhaps it would be better if the Minister for Local Government and Public Health were here while this matter is being discussed. My information is that it is almost absolutely impossible for an applicant to get a certificate of blindness. Dispensary doctors have refused to give these certificates; some of them will give them for a fee.

Mr. Dillon

And the Department will not accept them.

Mr. Corish

Some of them give them for a fee of 5/- or 7/6. That is a great deal of money in the case of a poor person.

An Ceann Comhairle

The administration of the Vote for Old Age Pensions does not arise on this Estimate.

Mr. Corish

I do not know where we are to raise it. I would suggest to the Minister that there is room for additional medical inspectors in connection with the Blind Pensions Act. I know of people who have had their claims under consideration for 12 or 18 months.

An Ceann Comhairle

For the administration of the Old-Age Pensions Acts the Minister for Local Government is responsible. It was discussed on the Vote for that Department.

Mr. Corish

I do not think it would be too much to ask that the Minister for Finance would have a conversation with his colleague in Local Government and Public Health——

Mr. MacEntee

I certainly will have a conversation on it with him.

Mr. Corish

——and ask him to do something to facilitate people who are claiming the blind pension.

Mr. MacEntee

I am prepared to bring the Deputy's remarks to the notice of the Minister for local Government and Public Health but not to make any recommendation.

Mr. Corish

There are ophthalmic surgeons appointed by the county health boards in the various districts and they have refused absolutely to give a certificate and in cases where dispensary doctors have been asked for these certificates these ophthalmic surgeons have prevented them from giving the certificate.

Mr. Dillon

I would like to underline what Deputy Corish has said. The fact is that they have not got enough medical inspectors in the Local Government Department and the Department will not take the certificate of the local dispensary doctors. They have been asked to increase the medical officers in the country in order to help to do this work. In my opinion a much more expeditious and prudent way of dealing with this problem would be to name certain dispensary medical officers in rural Ireland whose certificates the Department would accept, otherwise we would have another warble-fly host of inspectors. I asked the Department to name certain officers throughout the country from whom the Local Government Department would accept certificates in good faith.

Mr. MacEntee

When I heard Deputy Dillon making this appeal I remembered that there is a publication in this country called United Ireland, and when I heard the Deputy pleading for inspectors and more inspectors I remembered the ill-drawn cartoon. which appeared in United Ireland a few weeks ago.

Mr. Dillon

The Minister reads that publication?

Mr. MacEntee

I like to suffer part of my purgatory in this life. I do not need to read pleasant things about myself, but occasionally when reading unpleasant things I feel I am undergoing a necessary discipline.

Mr. Dillon

And getting disillusioned.

Mr. MacEntee

I will call the attention of the Minister for Local Government and Public Health to the points raised. I will not urge upon the Minister to appoint more inspectors because my job is to prevent more inspectors being appointed. I try to do that job efficiently, and I hope in doing that that I will meet with the approval of the Opposition in common with the rest of the community.

Mr. Corish

Would the Minister agree to name certain doctors in rural areas whose opinion would be accepted as to whether a person is suffering from blindness?

Vote put and agreed to.