asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if any recent change had been made in the payment of supplementary allowances to old age pensioners; if he will state the exact position in regard to those allowances; if he is aware that reductions have been made in these allowances within recent months by local authorities; and if he will take steps to ensure that the reductions are restored, and that retrospective payments of the amounts deducted are made in all such cases.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Old Age Pensioners' Supplementary Allowances.
I am not aware of any recent change having been made in the payment of emergency supplementary cash allowances to old age pensioners other than that local authorities were advised in a circular letter issued by my Department on the 2nd May last, that payment of these allowances was to be made on a weekly basis, except where special circumstances existed, when they might be paid once every two weeks.
The position regarding these allowances is as follows: old age and blind pensioners, and persons in receipt of disablement benefit who are resident in areas to which the food voucher scheme administered by the Department of Industry and Commerce does not extend and who are in necessitous circumstances, may apply for the allowance to the public assistance authority. The latter may, after investigation of the circumstances of the applicant, grant the allowance at a rate not exceeding, in the case of old age and blind pensioners and persons in receipt of disablement benefit, 2/6 each per week and in the case of dependent children of blind pensioners and persons in receipt of disablement benefit, 1/6 each per week. I am not aware that the allowances have been reduced within recent months but this is a matter entirely within the competence of the public assistance authorities.
Under Section 5 (2) of the Public Assistance Act, 1939, I am precluded from directing the giving of public assistance to any particular individual.