asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will grant a special allowance for wives whose husbands have divorced them and are thus ineligible for the deserted wives' allowance.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Wives' Special Allowance.
4.
Legislation would be necessary to implement the Deputy's proposal and the introduction of such legislation is not contemplated.
Could the Minister not do this through the home assistance officers? This is one of the most disgraceful anomalies in the social welfare code. These women are morally entitled to this benefit but because of legislation they are not getting it. There are only about 30 or 40 of them.
I have it in mind.
Will the Minister do something about it?
Will he make sure that these women will be attended to?
Is the Minister going to consider it or not?
I am.
That is better.
I said that at the beginning.
Has the Minister legislative proposals in mind? Surely the Minister does not regard it as being proper that the woman who has been deserted will get payments but the woman whose husband in England has divorced her is not regarded as a deserted wife.
We cannot have a debate on this.
I should like to do this without legislation. There are only 36 people involved.
Does the Minister not agree that there is a highly anomalous and disgraceful situation here whereby wives who have been divorced by their husbands are in effect classified as being in a most unusual category?
We cannot have another speech.