Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 17 Jul 1941

Vol. 84 No. 14

Committee on Finance. - Vote 6—Office of the Revenue Commissioners.

Mr. O Ceallaigh

I move:—

Go ndeontar suim ná raghaidh thar £617,624 chun slánuithe na suime is gá chun íoctha an Mhuirir a thiocfaidh chun bheith iníoctha i rith na bliana dar críoch an 31adh lá de Mhárta, 1942, chun Tuarastail agus Costaisí Oifig na gCoimisinéirí Ioncuim, maraon le Seirbhísí áirithe eile atá fé riaradh na hOifige sin.

That a sum, not exceeding £617,624, be granted to complete the sum necessary to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending the 31st day of March, 1942, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Office of the Revenue Commissioners, including certain other Services administered by that Office.

Mr. Cosgrave

There is an old parish priest in this country who, every night after reciting the Rosary, says: "Now, let us say five Pater and Aves for our enemies, if we have any." I would say, in addition to that: "May the Lord have mercy on their souls."

Mr. Davin

I want to protest, and not for the first time, on behalf of the members of this Party against the very miserable mentality shown by certain officers of the Revenue Commissioners in investigating old age pension claims. I do not believe that some of the gentlemen working in the Department of the Revenue Commissioners, and doing this work, represent the outlook of the Minister for Finance on this matter. I wonder would the Minister, when he has some time at his disposal, cause inquiries to be made in the Local Government Department as to the difference of opinion that exists on certain old age pension claims between the officers of the Department of Local Government and officers of the Revenue Commissioners' Department. Some of the cases which have come to my notice expose a scandalously low mentality in matters of the kind, but I do not believe that these people represent the Minister in the way they deal with these claims. I do not want to hold up the Vote, but I should like the Minister to look into the matter.

Mr. O Ceallaigh

I shall.

Mr. Hickey

I want to emphasise the point made by Deputy Davin. Take the case of an old age pensioner I know of, whose income was calculated on the basis of what she got for the past 12 months from the sick poor society. I think that is most unfair, and I am satisfied that the system is too rigid so far as the local officers are concerned. They will tell me: "We have to do our job." We do not want to interfere with them in doing their job, but sums of money, given as charity, should not be taken into account in assessing the means of these unfortunate people.

Vote put and agreed to.