asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will cause inquiries to be made into the payments made by the board of assistance and National Health Society to the families of tuberculosis patients whilst the patients are in sanatorium and during the period of their unfitness to work after their discharge from sanatorium; and if he will take any steps to see that the wives and children are properly cared for whilst the patient is on the sick list.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tuberculosis Patients.
The law gives full discretion to public assistance authorities in granting assistance to persons in necessitous circumstances. As regard assistance through the National Health Insurance Society, there is no provision in the National Health Insurance Acts for payments to dependents of insured persons except in cases where a sick member is an inmate of an institution (such as a sanatorium). In such cases any benefit otherwise payable may, at the discretion of the society, be paid to his dependents.
The first portion of the question asks the Minister if he will inquire what payment is made by the board of assistance. The Parliamentary Secretary does not state what the payments are. I would be glad if he would make inquiries from the board of assistance and their officers, as to what allowance they give to a mother and her four children while her husband is in hospital with tuberculosis and, if he finds that it is inadequate — which it is, totally inadequate, it being a miserable allowance of 14/- or 15/- a week to keep four children and the mother — will he see that a definite and fixed allowance will be made, so that they will not have to go cap in hand, as it were, to appeal to the officers to see that they get fair treatment? I put it to the Parliamentary Secretary that the time has arrived when he should introduce legislation to see that proper allowances are given to the dependents of the victims of this emergency and I ask him to do so.
The amount of the allowance is a matter entirely for the local authority.
That is what I want to get at.
You have got at it.
There is starvation in the country, and you are the boss.
I have no functions whatever in the matter.
The Deputy is making a speech.
He has made two speeches.
I do not want to be closured altogether.
The Deputy has got great latitude.
Too much.
I do not get much information from Ministers. They do their best to evade my questions and to be offensive to me any time I raise a question for the poor of this city.
The Deputy is not asking a supplementary.
Will the Parliamentary Secretary see——
No.
——that adequate allowances are given to the dependents of those who are in our sanatoria. Their people outside are suffering very great hardships. They are suffering hunger in some cases.
That is a matter for the local authority.
And if they do not do their duty will you see that they do it?
I have no statutory functions in the matter.
What is the remedy? Are they to continue starving?
Why does the Deputy continue repeating himself?
I am asking the Parliamentary Secretary what is the remedy. Will he introduce legislation to see that they get it?
That is another question.
Question 29.
He is definitely evading the question I am putting.
Question No. 29, the same Deputy.
I am asking what is the remedy.
Question No. 30, Deputy Dillon.
That is closuring me.
Question No. 30.