Vol. 215 No. 11
asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether steps will be taken to ensure that persons in receipt of non-contributory pensions who in addition obtain home assistance from health authorities will not be subject to deductions in home assistance payments because of increases in their non-contributory pensions.
37.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether steps will be taken to ensure that persons in receipt of (a) infectious diseases maintenance allowance and (b) disability allowance who are in addition in receipt of home assistance from health authorities will not be subject to deductions in home assistance payments because of increases in their allowances given in the recent Budget.
38.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will give instructions to health authorities and county councils not to reduce home assistance or disability allowance when recipients get the increases announced in the recent Budget.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 36, 37 and 38 together.
Public assistance authorities are required under statute to give such public assistance as appears necessary to poor persons who are unable by their own efforts or other lawful means to provide the necessaries of life for themselves or others whom they are legally bound to maintain. It is not specifically laid down what types of income or what amount should be taken into consideration in assessing eligibility for public assistance, nor are the rates of assistance prescribed. It is for each local authority to determine what constitutes need and, beyond powers of general supervision, I am not empowered to intervene. I am, in fact, expressly precluded from directing the giving of public assistance to any individual person. It is not, of course, my intention that the increased payments to beneficiaries should be offset by corresponding reductions in home assistance allowances with the result that improvements made by the Oireachtas in the economic position of persons in receipt of social welfare payments would be largely nullified.
I suggest that this is a matter which can be left to the local authorities. If it comes to my knowledge that any of them are not carrying out their responsibilities I will take the matter up with them.
The Minister states that it is not his intention that the local authority should reduce assistance payments to offset the rises in the pension rates. Would he state if the Government would be prepared to take action now to ensure that no reduction in assistance payments will be made? I understood the Minister to say that he is precluded, under existing legislation, from doing that. Will the Government take action?
I have no reason to believe that there will be any necessity to do that.
If the necessity arises, will action be taken?
We shall have to wait and see.
Is the Minister aware that this action was embarked upon by a number of local authorities on previous occasions where increased assistance was given either by way of disability benefit or increased public assistance? Some local authorities actually made the reduction referred to in this question and the same answer was given on that particular occasion, namely, that there was no it is his intention, or the intention of the Government, to take power to prevent this type of hardship from being imposed on people?
I am not aware that what the Deputy says happened did happen.
If these reductions are, in fact, made, will the Minister agree that they will go some way, if not the whole way, towards negativing the pensions increases?
If such reductions take place—but I have no reason to believe that they will.
Would the Minister be prepared to notify all the local authorities in this connection, indicating quite clearly his views in this matter?
If that appears to be necessary, it will be done.
(Cavan): In some counties, differential rents have been increased, resulting from increases in social welfare benefit. Will the Minister agree that that is something that should not happen?
I have no responsibility for differential rents.
