asked the Minister for Social Welfare if free travel facilities will be afforded to all old age pensioners; and if free ESB supply will be given also to them.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Free Travel and Lighting for Pensioners.
46.
Free travel facilities are afforded to all persons in receipt of old age pension.
To qualify for the free electricity allowance an old age pensioner must be a registered consumer of electricity and living alone or with a wife, with an invalid husband or other invalid, with other classes of pensioners covered under the scheme, or with dependent children under the age of 16.
Do I understand the Minister to say that an old age pensioner, unmarried and living alone, would not qualify for free electricity under the scheme?
No; I did not say that.
Has the attention of the Minister been directed to any cases where the old age pensioner heretofore has not sought installation because he or she could not afford to pay for electricity and now, on having it made available free, is desirous of having the installation made but is unable to pay the cost? Will the Minister give such a person a supply where the house is convenient to the existing system in order that the pensioner may benefit under the scheme?
This is one of the anomalies which are to be found in this respect. There is also the position that some pensioners are not registered consumers. In the case of unregistered consumers, I think we permit them to become registered. We have not done anything about the other type of case.
Would the Minister take note of the position of those who are anxious to benefit but who, not having been able to afford installation——
I should like to get the particulars.
Will an old age pensioner who has a lodger in the house but who still has a reasonably small income so that he or she is entitled to the old age pension be entitled to free electricity?
A clear-cut definition of our terms would not permit it.
If such a person qualifies for the old age pension according to his or her means, does the Minister not consider that person would be entitled to it?
What about the renting of meters?
If you start there, there will then be the question of three lodgers or four lodgers.
(Cavan): They would not qualify for old age pension.
The lady I have in mind is the head of a household. She keeps a lodger.
It is an individual case.
The Minister might take the pension.
What about the British pensions? Has the Minister looked that up yet?
We have been asked by other people to regard these——
What is the position?
They are not entitled to the pension.
If it is possible to bar anybody, you will do it. Is that not the position?
We are being reasonably generous in this scheme.
(Cavan): The extra 5/- is calculated to frustrate more old age pensioners——
It is calculated to cost £300,000 a year.
Consider the position of an old age pensioner occupying a county council cottage which has been wired but, due to the special charge, has no connection. Will this applicant now be entitled?
The scheme provides only for meters in respect of which the normal bi-monthly charge is paid, plus the extra 100 free units. This should enable her to meet the extra charge.
I shall have to go to the Minister for Transport and Power about it.
We are looking at the extra charges to see if it is possible to do anything more generous in that direction.