I had a great deal which I wished to say but, due to certain arrangements that have been made, it is not possible for me to do anything but very briefly make certain remarks. I had amendments down which have been ruled out of order by the Ceann Comhairle. I, of course, accept his rulings.
We on this side of the House raised in the course of the discussions on the Budget and on this Bill the fact that the increases which were given in the Budget and which are now given under the Social Welfare Bill to recipients of old age pensions, and social welfare assistance of various kinds, will be taken away from them in many cases by different administrative decisions. I refer in particular to the case of people who are, in addition, in receipt of home assistance which we are quite convinced will in many cases be reduced because the recipients of pensions or social assistance of one sort or another will get some increases under the legislation we are now about to enact. Similarly, in cases I know of already, persons living in local authority houses subject to differential rent schemes will have their rents increased because of the increases in pensions and in social assistance which these people are to get.