asked the Minister for Social Welfare the total saving to the Exchequer resulting from the withdrawal or reduction of certain benefits of old age pensioners and others consequent on increases in the allowances payable to such persons under the Social Welfare Acts.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Old Age Pensions: Reductions and Withdrawals.
13.
I assume that the Deputy is referring to the withdrawal of cheap fuel vouchers from certain old age pensioners from the 6th January last when they became entitled to contributory old age pensions.
There is no saving to the Exchequer as a result of the withdrawal of fuel vouchers in those cases.
Why?
People are getting contributory pensions at the expense of the Exchequer.
The question says "resulting from the withdrawal or reduction of certain benefits from old age pensioners". There must be some saving to the Exchequer.
The people from whom these vouchers were withdrawn are getting substantially more money than they had, taking into account both the value of the fuel vouchers and the pensions they were drawing.
The question asked was what was the saving to the Exchequer of the withdrawal of the fuel vouchers. The Minister seeks to reply to that by saying there was an added expense under another service and that one should be taken against the other. The question asked by Deputy O'Higgins was what the amount of saving was by the withdrawal of the food vouchers.
And I have given the answer.
The Minister is ashamed to admit that he took from these people a small benefit which was a mean and wretched thing to do.
Is it the policy of the Fine Gael Party to withdraw the contributory pensions and give the people fuel vouchers instead?
It was a mean and miserable thing to do.