asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if it is the policy of the Government to interpret the exchange of British pensions presented in the form of a cheque to Irish Post Offices or Irish Banks as being represented in terms of sterling or automatically equivalent to the same and exact amount in the Irish pound.
Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers. - British Pensions.
9.
(Dublin South-Central): The Department of Posts and Telegraphs, like other post offices, does not undertake currency conversion at its counters and accordingly British pension orders, but not cheques, presented at counters here could be cashed only at their face value, that is, one Irish pound for each pound sterling.
The British Department of Health and Social Security has made new arrangements, which do not involve the Department of Posts and Telegraphs, for the payment of their Irish pensioners as from 15 October 1979. Arrangements have also been made to compensate such pensioners for the difference in the exchange rates between the Irish and British currencies for the period April to mid-October 1979.
Will the Minister take a serious look at the circular issued by his Department to such pensioners? It is an incredible circular. It deals with the exchange rate claims which pensioners may make, and one would literally require a mini-calculator to work out the exchange rate entitlement which can be claimed at any post office. It has brought tears to the eyes of pensioners, who are incapable of working out the amount of money due to them. It is a most dreadful circular issued by this Department. No pensioner I have met yet has been able to calculate his entitlements.
(Dublin South-Central): This situation no longer applies. The British have now introduced their own system of paying their pensioners here direct. We will have little to do with it now.
But surely the Minister is aware that for the months April to October pensioners are entitled to claim the refund on foot of the exchange rate they are entitled to and that his Department have issued a most complex, confused and ridiculous circular showing them how to go about making that claim.
(Dublin South-Central): We will automatically do that. We will compile it exactly to see what is due to them. We will be making arrangements in regard to that refund. There are certain staff and sub-post office problems to be resolved but what they would be entitled to when these problems are overcome has been worked out.
Is the Minister aware that pensioners have to go into a post office, fill in a form, calculate for each week what exchange rate they think they are entitled to, submit the form to the postmaster, hand in their pension book with no assurance when they are going to get it back again and then eventually they will get a cheque covering the amount? There are some thousands of pensioners throughout the country who are literally in tears trying to work this thing out. Surely the Post Office and the staff involved and the postmasters should be able to devise a better and more sensible system for these pensioners to get their entitlements.
(Dublin South-Central): I appreciate the Deputy's concern. That is being simplified.
10.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs the representations, if any, made to the British Post Office on behalf of old age pensioners in receipt of British pensions regarding the unacceptable delays presently being encountered despite the ending of the postal strike.
(Dublin South-Central): I am not aware of circumstances which would warrant representations being made by the Department to the British Post Office in this regard.
There are quite a number of cases of this happening and the source of the delay is not attributable to the Post Office here. In those circumstances if a sufficient number of cases were brought to the Minister's attention would he be prepared to consider looking into the matter?
(Dublin South-Central): As the Deputy is aware, we are really only acting as agents for the British pensions. If there is a delay within the British social services it is not very appropriate for us to make representations. But once the pensions reach Ireland we take responsibility.
The delay is arising across the water.
(Dublin South-Central): If the Deputy has specific instances of this, I certainly will make representations; but, as he can see, it is another administration.