Vol. 276 No. 13
I move:
That a supplementary sum not exceeding £9,000,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the period commencing on the 1st day of April, 1974, and ending on the 31st day of December, 1974, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Social Welfare, for certain services administered by that Office, for payments to the Social Insurance Fund, and for sundry grants.
Most of the money required here is for non-contributory old age pensions, children's allowances and social assistance generally. Today I tabled a question to the Minister for Social Welfare asking him if he proposed to compensate social welfare beneficiaries immediately for the steep increases in the prices of butter and other foodstuffs. I have not yet received the reply. Could I take it from the Parliamentary Secretary that the reply will be in the affirmative?
The Deputy will appreciate that I cannot anticipate what the budget may or may not contain. But there is already a statement in the Government's White Paper called "National Partnership".
That is contemptible treatment of the Dáil.
I am sure the House will appreciate that there remains only a few minutes to 5 o'clock. We have to take the Appropriation Bill and there is a question on the Adjournment.
I was asking for a liberalisation of the rules with regard to the payment of the prescribed relative allowance coming up to Christmas. It is a fairly stringent type of rule.
