asked the Minister for Defence if he is aware that military service pensioners who are otherwise eligible for free electricity and free television licences have been deprived of both because they reside in flats in which the electricity is supplied via a coin-operated meter in the landlord's name; and if he will amend the regulations so that such persons will qualify in future for such benefits.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Military Service Pensioners.
62.
Under the scheme of free electricity allowance for veterans of the War of Independence, which follows the same pattern as that for old age pensioners, the allowance, consisting of relief from the fixed charge and up to 100 units of electricity free of charge in each two-monthly accounting period, will be granted by the Electricity Supply Board to each qualified applicant in his two-monthly account. The board will then be re-imbursed the amount involved by my Department. It is, therefore, essential for the operation of the scheme that the applicant be a registered consumer of electricity.
The Minister will understand that I was aware of the position but what I am asking the Minister is to make a change in the law. Is the Minister aware that there are many pensioners and eligible people in urban areas who live in flats in which electricity is supplied through coin meters? The meters in question are registered in the name of the landlord and because of that simple fact those people cannot benefit at all under the existing regulations. Could I ask the Minister to take another look at it to see if some amendment could be made or some allowance made or some adjustment made to the meters so as to enable such people to have the electricity without charge?
The ESB read the main meter only. The ESB official does not enter a flat to see the second meter, the coin meter. This is a difficult matter to resolve.
The Minister may not know any more than I do about the intricacies of the ESB but is the position not that these coin meters are installed in the first instance by the ESB and then perhaps after that the ESB agent only inspects the main meter but it does not appear to be an insuperable engineering feat to disconnect the meter into flats in which eligible pensioners live.
It might appear that simple but it is not.
I suspect it is.