asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will consider introducing proposals for legislation to provide for the payment of the children's allowance in respect of the first child, in view of the fact that thousands of families are at present receiving no allowances under the Social Welfare Act, 1952.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Children's Allowances.
It is not proposed to introduce amending legislation to provide for payment of children's allowances in respect of the first child. The Deputy will appreciate that only recently substantial and costly improvements were made in the scheme of family allowances.
What is wrong with the first child, that you left it out?
That question should not be addressed to me.
What was wrong with the second child for three and a half years?
The Minister ought to know that there are thousands of people with one child who get nothing by way of children's allowances. The first child is nobody's darling. I think the Minister ought to amend the legislation so that the first child will benefit.
I appreciate the Deputy's confidence in me, because he never put the same question to his own Minister for Social Welfare in the Coalition Government because he thought he would not get it.
If he had been as long in power as you are he would have done it.