asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state when it is proposed to make provision by way of a scale of allowances for the dependents of tuberculosis patients undergoing treatment in sanatoria.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tuberculosis Patients: Allowances to Dependents.
The law gives full discretion to public assistance authorities in granting assistance to persons in necessitous circumstances, and it is open to the public assistance authorities to avail of such powers and to grant allowances to the dependents of tuberculosis patients undergoing treatment in sanatoria.
Might I remind the Parliamentary Secretary and the House that this is a matter which needs a little more attention than the Parliamentary Secretary has given to it? He says that the dependents of tuberculosis patients have poor law assistance available to them at the moment, but I suggest that, when the Bill dealing with the treatment of tuberculosis was going through, it was indicated that there was to be a new departure and that the dependents of people undergoing treatment in sanatoria should have a scale of allowances available to them. To that, the Parliamentary Secretary gave his goodwill. Might I suggest, now that he is falling back on the old, discredited system of assistance granted by the public assistance authorities, that he should consider——
Does the Deputy consider that a supplementary question?
Might I ask him to relate his reply now to his statement in the House when the Bill dealing with tuberculosis was being considered? The two are totally irreconcilable.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that there is a proposal before his Department from the Roscommon County Council for the past six months to waive cottage rents?
That is a separate question.
The Minister said he was prepared to consider——
The question must not be debated now.
——any device if a local authority put it forward. That is one suggestion put forward by a local authority six months ago, and the Local Government Department are still hatching on it.
No; it is not proposed to approve of it.
You do not propose to approve of it?
No.
Glory be to God! A great change has come on this House in the last three months.
If the Deputy puts down a question on the point, I will answer him.
You may bet your boots I will.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary consider the introduction of legislation which would make the dependents of tuberculosis patients independent of the rotten poor law system?
What is wrong with the poor law system?
It does not make a sufficient allowance. It gives 15/- for four or five children while a man is in hospital.
It is open to the local authority to give 10/- or 15/- for each child if they think fit.
They will not be allowed to give the rent of a cottage.
That is a different matter altogether.
It allows only 14/- or 15/- while a father is lying on his deathbed.
Why does the board of assistance not give more?
There is no board of assistance.
asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he is aware of the inadequate allowances to the families of tuberculosis sufferers made under the present national health code; and, if so, if he will introduce legislation to extend benefits in such cases and leave them independent of the inadequate allowances made by the boards of assistance.
The rates of benefit payable under the National Health Insurance Acts to persons who are incapable of work are laid down in the Acts which make no distinction between different kinds of incapacity. No proposals along the lines suggested in the latter part of the Deputy's question are under consideration.