asked the Minister for Social Welfare if it is his intention to introduce subsidies to social welfare recipients on other food items similar to the scheme proposed for butter; and, if not, why.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Food Subsidy Scheme.
99.
As the Deputy is, no doubt, aware, the subsidised butter scheme was instituted by decision of the Council of Ministers of the European Economic Community. The introduction of any other similar schemes of subsidisation of food items would, of course, be a matter for the EEC authorities in the first instance.
100.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will explain the delay in implementing the introduction of the butter subsidy scheme for social welfare recipients; and if he will outline the categories of persons entitled to this subsidy and the amount of butter per month to which each recipient will be entitled.
The question of re-introducing the Butter Scheme, which under the previous authorisation ended on 31st December, 1974, was a matter for decision by the Council of Ministers of the EEC. The scheme is being reintroduced with effect from 1st April, 1975. There has been no delay on the part of my Department in implementing the EEC decision. Difficulties have been experienced with regard to the printing of the necessary vouchers but it is now expected that these will be available for issue by the end of the month.
The categories of persons entitled to benefit under the scheme are recipients of:—
Non-contributory old age and blind pension, non-contributory widow's and orphan's pension, unmarried mother's allowance, deserted wife's allowance, prisoner's wife's allowance, single woman's allowance, unemployment assistance, home assistance, health act allowances, special allowances under the Army Pensions Acts.
Under the EEC authorisation each beneficiary will be entitled to one pound of butter per month for himself or herself and for each dependant during the period 1st April, 1975, to 31st January, 1976, at a reduced price equal to the normal amount charged by the butter retailer less 17p.
Would the Minister not consider, as well as the categories of people he enumerated in his reply, that parents of larger families should also be recipients of this service? In many cases I think it will be found that such large families are people of rather small wages so the amount of money available for housekeeping might be less than that available to people in receipt of social welfare benefits. Would the Minister consider this service in the case of households of seven and eight children?
I will not say I will consider it officially but I will as a person concerned about poor people. Unfortunately, the regulations say that this sort of subsidisation is only applicable to those in receipt of the assistance benefits. That, of course, means that those in receipt of disability benefit or contributory old age pensions and widows' pensions would not, unfortunately, be eligible.
I appreciate that but would the Minister examine the possibility of this?
Yes, but it would be something to be decided by the EEC. We are under specific instructions to apply it to those in receipt of assistance benefits.
The EEC have not exactly the same distinction between assistance and benefits as we have. Is there no scope for flexibility?
I have thought of that and I readily admit that our system of social insurance or any form of social assistance might be different but the letter of the law, as far as we are concerned, is that it should only be applied to those in receipt of assistance. As far as my bringing this up is concerned, this would not be possible because it is, in fact, a function within the EEC of the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries. We merely administer the scheme for him but I certainly will bring it to his notice.
I take it the Minister appreciates that in the Irish family context especially the average size of family is considerably bigger than it is on the mainland of Europe and this might be worth considering.
I agree.