I move:—
That a sum not exceeding £230,700 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, 1952, for the Salaries and Expenses of the Office of the Minister for Social Welfare.
Beyond mentioning a few facts in regard to the figures, I do not intend to make a very long statement. The Estimates, as the Dáil is aware, were prepared under the directions of my predecessor in office. The total amount required under the seven Estimates is almost exactly the same as that required for the year 1950-51, some of the Estimates showing small increases which are offset by corresponding reductions in others.
The total amount sought for old age and blind pensions—£7,240,000—shows an increase of £91,500, and is based on an anticipated average of 164,000 pensioners, as against 162,000 pensioners provided for in 1950-51. When this Estimate was being prepared, the quarterly statistics relating to old age and blind pensions had shown a continuous upward trend in numbers and cost since the winter of 1946-47. At the 30th September, 1950, the actual number of pensions in payment was 161,509. Since the Estimate was framed, however, the figures for the 31st September, 1950, and 31st March, 1951, have come to hand and show decreases to 161,232 and 156,638 respectively. The decreases were due to deaths of pensioners which, in these two quarters, amounted to the unprecedentedly high total of 11,917. This figure exceeds by more than 4,000 the numbers of deaths in the two previous winter half-years and it exceeds by 2,300 the number of pensioners who died in the bad winter of 1946-47.
I have had the death rate for old age and blind pensioners over the past 20 years examined and find that for the year ending 31st March, 1951, 120 per 1,000 pensioners was the highest, while the rates in the three previous years, viz., 92, 89, and 94 per 1,000 were the lowest. This unprecedented and unfortunate death rate will affect the Estimate already made. It now seems probable that, in all the circumstances, there will be considerably less than an average of 164,000 pensioners in the year 1951-52 and a lesser sum paid in old age pensions as a consequence. In view, however, of the fact that the Government has introduced legislation which will increase pension rates and effect further modifications of the means test and that, in consequence, a Supplementary Estimate will later be required to give effect to the increase, I do not propose now to reduce the provision sought for old age and blind pensions.
The provision for children's allowances shows a slight increase on the amount provided last year. This is a continuation of the trend over recent years in which there has been a steady increase in the number of children's allowances claimed.
There is a small increase in the amount required for unemployment insurance and an appreciable decrease for unemployment assistance in the current year as compared with the amount required last year. The Estimate is based on the unemployment position at the end of 1950. There is a small increase in the amount required for widows' and orphans' pensions which reflects the continued increase in the number of these pensions in course of payment. There is also a small increase in the amount required for national health insurance which is due mainly to the increase in the Exchequer grant in respect of expenditure on benefits and administration. The expenditure on benefits of which the Exchequer provides two-ninths has shown an increase in recent years, due, in part, to an increase in the number of insured persons and, in part, to the increasing popularity of the non-cash additional benefits such as the dental, optical and hospital benefits.
The last Vote with which I have to deal is that for Miscellaneous Social Welfare Services. The increase in the amount required under this Vote is due to an anticipated increase in the expenditure on school meals by way of grants under the Education (Provision of Meals) Acts, 1914 to 1930.
The trend of expenditure on social welfare has been upwards for the last 20 years. It is interesting to note that the expenditure from the Exchequer on all the services now administered by the Department has varied almost uniformally over the years. In 1931-32 it was £3,351,000; in 1947-48 it was £11,262,000 and in 1950-51 it was £12,762,000, so that we have for the 16 years from the end of March, 1932, to the end of March, 1948, an average increase in expenditure of £500,000 per year. In respect of the three years from the end of March, 1948, to the end of March, 1951, we have an exactly similar increase of £500,000 per year. It would, therefore, appear that the late Government had maintained the average increase that was there for the previous 16 years. My predecessor in office, Deputy Norton, was able to maintain the pace in increase of social services that was set by Fianna Fáil.
To-day, a Chinn Comhairle, I introduced a Bill dealing with old age pensions which will be circulated, I hope, in a few days. It is practically on the lines of the proposals made by my predecessor when he was dealing with the Social Welfare Bill on Second Stage earlier this year. The Government intends to bring in a comprehensive Bill on social welfare as soon as it can be drafted. It will be on the same lines as those given by my predecessor on the occasion of the Second Reading of the Social Welfare Bill that was brought before the Dáil. No time will be lost in bringing that comprehensive Bill before the Dáil.
