asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he is aware that under the saving certificates regulations a spouse who inherits a sum in excess of £1,000 is required to incur the expenses of extracting a grant of administration or probate in order to make title; and if he will raise that threshold substantially.
Ceisteanna—Questions . Oral Answers . - Saving Certificates Regulations .
11.
: Under the savings certificates rules, which are administered by my Department on behalf of the Minister for Finance, when a holder of savings certificates dies evidence of a grant of administration or probate may be sought as proof of a claimant's entitlement to the proceeds. Each case is judged on its merits but, in general, proof is sought when the sum involved exceeds £1,000. Consideration is being given to increasing the present threshold.
: Will the Minister of State indicate when the present threshold was introduced?
: In 1926.
: Will the Minister accept that the value of the pound has decreased since then?
: I would say that the Deputy's party contributed to that to a greater degree than any other party. The limit of £100 of saving certificates is laid down in rule 37 of the saving certificates rules which were drawn up in 1926. Generally they allow £1,000 and there is no great difficulty in relation to any claim provided evidence is given by the claimant or a legal representative on behalf of the claimant.
: Will the Minister accept that in the recent past a spouse who inherited savings certificates to the value of £1,100 was obliged by the Department to take out administration before she was entitled to the certificates?
: I do not know about the case referred to by the Deputy. There is evidence in the Department where amounts in excess of £1,000 have been given to claimants on submission of the type of evidence considered necessary by the Department for the release of the funds in question.
: Will the Minister accept that the kind of evidence sought is probate or letters of administration and that this can prove costly? What we are doing here is subsidising further the legal profession at the expense of some poor, thirfty people.
: Each case is judged on its merits. The Deputy will appreciate that the Department would look rather foolish if they released funds without having definitive proof that the person concerned was entitled to the funds.
: The Minister indicated earlier that it was his intention to raise the threshold. Is that the position?
: Up to £2,000.
: That is progress of a kind and I thank the Minister.