asked the Minister for Defence whether he is aware of the great hardship caused to small farmers and certain employed persous through their inability to obtain special allowances under the Army Pensions Acts by reason of the means test; and, if so, whether he will consider the introduction of proposals for amending legislation to modify the means test and thus enable these persons to obtain the-benefit of the special allowance.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Special Allowances—Modifying Means Test.
I am not aware of any great hardship to the classes mentioned by the Deputy. The object of the special allowances is to relieve persons who had service in the national movement from want by granting them annual allowances which, when added to their means, will not equal or exceed a sum which varies from £78 per annum in the case of a single person to £97 10s. 0d. (plus an allowance of £10 8s. 0d. for each child) to a married person. To implement this scheme as provided for in the relevant Act, regard must be had to the actual means of each applicant. I regret it is not possible to depart from this requirement.
Mr. Flynn
is the Minister aware that great hardship is being caused to applicants for the special allowances owing to the operation of this means test? Is he further aware that it has been properly described as a penal enactment—that is the method of bringing an appeal against a decision given? If an applicant is turned down he cannot appeal for 12 months, even though additional evidence could be produced the following day or week which would have the effect of nullifying the provious decision. The position is that the appeal cannot be entertained for 12 months. Therefore, I claim that that is a hardship and a penalty on the Old I.R.A. They are restricted in making applications for the special allowance under the present system. I suggest that there should be some modification of this means test.