asked the Minister for Social Welfare if in order to avoid undue hardship he will introduce legislation to provide that married women who are otherwise qualified will be entitled to receive an increase of disability benefit in cases where their husbands have been imprisoned or interned.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Wives of Prisoners and Internees: Increased Disability Benefit
4.
The answer is in the negative.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary not aware that, under present legislation, a woman, an insured person, who is qualified for benefit in her own right, and who qualifies in every other respect, is debarred from receiving additional benefit in respect of her dependent children because of the fact that her husband is interned under the Offences Against the State Act and, if the Parliamentary Secretary is so aware, does he not think the time is opportune to amend the legislation in that regard?
Anyone interned under the Offences Against the State Act has a very easy way of becoming a free citizen, by indicating that he accepts the Constitution of this State.
Does not the Parliamentary Secretary feel that sufficient power rests with the Minister for Justice under the Offences Against the State Act for dealing with this problem without stretching the Social Welfare Acts further to penalise dependents of those people and will he now consider amending the social welfare legislation in that regard?
Certainly not.
I would be anxious to know what State these people offend?
That is a separate question.
I know, but I am anxious to know. I am not satisfied.
It does not arise.
May be not, but I am still not satisfied.