asked the Minister for Defence the conditions governing the allocation of the Old I.R.A. medal holders' special allowance; and if he will give details of the means test.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Old I.R.A. Special Allowances: Means Test.
20.
Special allowances, and the conditions governing their award, are provided for in Section 7 of the Army Pensions Act, 1943, as amended. A special allowance may be granted to any qualified person in whose case An tAire Cosanta and An tAire Airgeadais are satisfied that the statutory conditions are complied with. The special allowance is an annual sum of such amount as will, when added to the yearly means of the persons concerned, not equal or exceed the appropriate annual sum. The current "appropriate annual sums" are set out in Section 6 of the Army Pensions Act, 1959.
A qualified person is a person who has a service certificate under the Military Service Pensions Acts, or a wound or disability pension under the Army Pensions Acts in respect of disease or disability contracted during pre-Truce service, or a pension under the Connaught Rangers (Pensions) Acts, or a medal in respect of service during Easter Week, 1916, or a medal, duly awarded, in respect of continuous membership, during the period of three months ended on 11th July, 1921, of one of the organisations mentioned in Part II of the Army Pensions Act, 1932.
The statutory conditions are that the means of the person concerned do not equal or exceed the appropriate annual sum and that such person is incapable of self-support by reason of age or permanent infirmity of body or mind.
The yearly means of a person, which are deemed to include the means of his or her spouse, are ascertained in accordance with the joint directions of An tAire Cosanta and An tAire Airgeadais. It may meet the Deputy's requirements if I summarise the principal items of means which, under these directions, are taken into account for the purposes of special allowances and those which are not. As even such a summary is lengthy, I propose, a Cheann Comhairle, with your permission, to have it circulated with the Official Report.
ASSESSMENT of means for the purposes of special allowances under the Army Pensions Acts.
1. In assessing the means of an applicant for a special allowance the following are the principal items which are taken into account:—
(1) the value of a house, plot or farm;
(2) the value of capital—the first £25 being disregarded, the next £375 taken at 1/20th and the remainder at 1/10th;
(3) one-half of the amount of Disability Benefit payable under the Social Welfare Acts;
(4) the amount of wages, profit from trade or business or other cash income;
(5) one old age pension, assessed at 24/- a week, where an applicant and the spouse are both in receipt of such pension;
(6) the amount exceeding £30 of a military service pension or a disability or wound pension or a Connaught Rangers pension or a combination of such pensions, where the applicant is under 70 years. The increases granted in 1959 and 1960 are not taken into account;
(7) the value of free maintenance, where such does not impose any hardship on the giver;
(8) the value of free lodging, taken at £3 18s. 0d. per annum;
(9) the profit from the contributions of members of a family who are employed and living at home, assessed on a scale as follows:—
Contributions of children over 18 years of age
|
Exceeding |
Urban Area Not Exceeding |
Profit |
Exceeding |
Rural Area Not Exceeding |
Profit |
|
— |
30/- |
Nil |
— |
30/- |
Nil |
|
30/- |
35/- |
2/- |
30/- |
35/- |
2/- |
|
35/- |
40/- |
3/- |
35/- |
37/- |
3/- |
|
40/- |
42/- |
4/- |
37/- |
39/- |
4/- |
|
42/- |
44/- |
5/- |
39/- |
41/- |
5/- |
|
44/- |
46/- |
6/- |
41/- |
the sum of 5/- plus the amount by which the contribution exceeds 41/-. |
|
|
46/- |
the sum of 6/- plus the amount by which the contribution exceeds 46/-. |
Children under 18 years of age
|
Not exceeding £28 14s. 0d. |
Nil. |
|
Between £28 14s. 0d. and £39 2s. 0d. |
The actual excess over £28 14s. 0d. |
|
Exceeding £39 2s. 0d. |
£10 8s. 0d. plus the benefit from contributions as above. |
2. The following are not taken into account in the assessment of means:—
(1) Children's allowances under the Social Welfare Acts;
(2) Public assistance;
(3) Free maintenance which imposes a hardship on the provider;
(4) Maintenance in a hospital, sanatorium or county home;
(5) Old age pension, save as mentioned at 1 (5);
(6) Gaeltacht Grants for children;
(7) Blind Welfare Grant, Infectious Disease (Maintenance) Allowance, Disabled Persons Maintenance Allowance.