asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health whether, in view of the present high cost of living, he is prepared to authorise the payment to all old age pensioners in rural areas of the supplementary allowance of 2/6 per week without the imposition of a means test.
Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Old Age Pensions' Means Test.
The conditions on which the grant was voted by the Dáil are set out in sub-head J (6) of the Vote for my Department in the current year's estimates, viz., the supplemental allowances are to be payable by public assistance authorities to persons of the classes indicated who are members of necessitous households. It is not proposed to vary those conditions.
In view of the fact that applicants for an old age pension up to a maximum of 10/- a week are already subject to a means test before they qualify for payment, does the Parliamentary Secretary consider it reasonable that a further test should be imposed in order to enable them to qualify for the trifling additional sum of 2/6 a week, which is a very small contribution to the solution of their financial difficulties owing to the fact that the cost of living, according to the Government's own figures, has increased by not less than 70 per cent. since 1939?
I would remind the Deputy that the House has already decided that this extra 2/6 a week would be payable only to necessitous persons. Seventy-five per cent. of the cost is borne by the State, and 25 per cent. is borne by the local authorities. As they have to find 25 per cent. of the cost, it is not unreasonable that the local authority should satisfy itself that, in fact, the applicant is in necessitous circumstances.
I can assure the Parliamentary Secretary, and I assume that Deputies in his own Party can do the same, that there is widespread complaint about the manner in which the scheme is being administered, and that it is extremely difficult to secure the supplementary allowance of 2/6 a week. Bearing that fact in mind, would the Parliamentary Secretary review the matter with a view to instructing the local authorities to modify the present rigorous inquisitions into family income which are a feature of the prevailing method of administering the scheme?
I am afraid the method of investigation must be a matter for the exercise of the discretion of the local authorities.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that the local authorities have no say in the matter at all? It is the county manager's job.