(Cavan) asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will change the Social Welfare Acts in relation to payment of non-contributory old age pensions so that these pensions may be paid to pensioners who reside with near relatives outside the Republic of Ireland.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Old Age Pensions.
22.
Under legislation introduced in 1960 payment of non-contributory old age pension may be made for up to five years to pensioners who go to reside in Northern Ireland. No further extension of this kind is contemplated at present.
(Cavan): I take it the Minister is aware that many old people who would be in receipt of non-contributory old age pensions have near relatives, sons and daughters, married in England who would be very glad to take them over there but the old people are not prepared to go and leave their pensions behind? The result is they have to live in the loneliness of isolation or be institutionalised. If the Minister accepts that as a fact, would he not think it would be a kind and humane thing to give them the pensions in England for the few years they have to live?
They are permitted 13 weeks absence under existing legislation, but to extend it further for a scheme that is subject to a means test has obvious difficulties. Furthermore, if the facility were being extended to permit them to reside in England, it must be borne in mind that many of them have relatives in the United States as well and that a wider field would have to be considered.
Is the Minister aware that some old age pensioners, particularly in the west of Ireland, go over to their sons or daughters for six months? Would he not consider extending the permitted period of absence to 12 months so that such people could get the old age pension in England?
(Cavan): There are reciprocal arrangements under the social welfare code with Great Britain. Surely it would not cause very much more trouble to extend them to cover this? There would be, I am sure, only a few hundred involved. Would the Minister consider it?
Any reciprocal arrangments we have are in relation to insurance schemes, not to the assistance side, non-contributory schemes which are subject to a means test and under which the recipient is subject to investigation at any time in regard to means.
(Cavan): Surely in a country in which this problem of emigration goes back over years and years and in which the problem I am raising is a direct result of emigration, the Minister should be big enough to deal with it when it is peculiar to this curse of emigration?