asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether old age pensions, unemployment assistance, and other similar allowances are arbitrarily fixed and adjusted, or are based on any assessment as to the likely food and other needs of the recipients.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Fixation of Social Welfare Payments.
21.
The rates of old age pension, unemployment assistance and other similar allowances payable from time to time are fixed at the maximum amounts which the State can afford.
Does the Parliamentary Secretary not agree that the rates at present paid to these classes are grossly inadequate, and further does he not agree that even if the State has difficulty in finding money, it could economise on some other classes?
For instance, the money they spent last week on the people with £2,000 a year.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary satisfied with the present rates of unemployment assistance and old age pensions? Is he satisfied these are adequate to keep people in a modest state of nutrition and good health?
I do not think that arises.
Surely the Parliamentary Secretary must be conscious of his responsibilities and must be anxious to know whether the amount he is paying is adequate or not. Is he worried about whether it is adequate or not.
Nobody is worried about it but the Deputy! We were interested in old age pensions before the Deputy was ever in the Dáil.
That is right—cover it up.
In view of the actions of the Government, it would seem that they are not interested——
Nobody is concerned but the Deputy.
I understand Government funds are limited, but if they want to save, could they not do it at the expense of the President's establishment, or out of the £10,000,000 for aeroplanes? The Government should be ashamed of themselves, paying £12,000 a year to one old age pensioner and 25/- a week to the others.
Wave the Union Jack now.
Many of these people in Dublin are starving.
Write another article for the Tribune.
Cracks about the Union Jack will not help the old age pensioners.