I give leave to the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Local Government and Public Health to attend and be heard during the different stages of this Bill.
Private Business. - Poor Relief (Dublin) Bill, 1936— Second Stage.
Question proposed: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."
This Bill proposes to continue the provisions of the Poor Relief (Dublin) Act, 1929, until the end of March, 1937. That Act gave the three poor law authorities in Dublin City and County power to assist able-bodied persons out of the workhouse. Prior to the passing of the Act able-bodied persons could only be relieved in the workhouse. In this respect the Act brought Dublin City and County into line with the rest of the Saorstát. The Act contained other minor provisions, such as that empowering the local authority to provide a task of work as a condition of granting home assistance to able-bodied persons. Where persons applying for assistance had not the residence qualification of two continuous years the Act enabled the local authority to pay their travelling expenses, if they desired to seek work outside the city and county, or to return to their relatives. These two provisions have not been availed of to any great extent.
The necessity for the Act arose from the fact that the law relating to home assistance in Dublin City and County differed from that in operation elsewhere in the Saorstát. In counties outside Dublin City and County the poor law unions had been abolished. In those counties Section 10 of the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923, came into force and the restrictions on out-door relief imposed by the Poor Relief Acts were removed. The effect of removing those restrictions was that the local authorities got very much wider powers as regards the administration of home assistance and the classes of persons to whom they could grant it. There did not appear to be any good reason why the boards in Dublin City and County should not be invested with similar powers.
It is the intention as early as possible to make provision for a general measure to deal comprehensively with public assistance by local authorities in the whole country. For this reason the Bill under consideration is temporary. It is hoped before the expiration of the period to which it refers to have a permanent Act passed.
Question put and agreed to.
Committee Stage ordered for Wednesday, 4th March.