Vol. 97 No. 16
I move:—
That a sum not exceeding £1,487,102 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, 1946, for Children's Allowances and for Salaries and Expenses in connection therewith (No. 2 of 1944).
It has come to my notice that a woman whose husband was serving in the British Air Force applied for children's allowances. She received the allowances for the first period and was then told that she could not receive it for the second period on the grounds that the children were normally with and maintained by the husband. There were six young children in the family which the mother has to look after. That hardly seems to me to have been the intention of the legislation when it was passed. I should like to know is the Act generally interpreted in that manner?
As the Deputy knows, I have no function in deciding cases of that kind. A decision is made by the officer appointed under the Act, and if the person concerned considers that the decision is not in accordance with the intentions of the legislation, there is a right of appeal to the umpire appointed under the Act. If the person has not yet appealed, she should exercise the right of appeal, but the decision of the umpire appointed under the Act is final.
The Minister piloted the Bill through the House. He knew what his own intention was and what the Government's intentions were. Was it contemplated that a woman with six children in Athy should not get the children's allowance because her husband was in some place with the British Air Force?
No.
Is her husband a citizen of Eire?
Yes.
Where the husband was would not affect the issue at all.
I put the case up to the Minister because the Department's reply is, to me, most mystifying. To tell her that her children were being maintained by her husband seems to be an extraordinary phrase to apply in such circumstances.
I should have to get particulars of the circumstances before I could give an opinion.
I shall put up a case to the Minister.
If the Deputy goes to any experienced old warrior in the Department, the lady will get her family allowance in a very short time. Officers of that type have invariably detected the flaws in applications and the persons concerned have got the allowances in a very short time. There may have been some flaw in the renewal of this lady's application.
