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Seanad Éireann debate -
Thursday, 30 Jul 1953

Vol. 42 No. 9

Committee and Final Stages.

This Bill is a Money Bill and the only possible form of amendment to it would be an amendment asking the Minister to give a further addition to what he is giving under the Bill and that, of course, would be out of order, so that I do not see, therefore, any point in postponing the Committee Stage in this House. In these circumstances we should be able to discuss it now.

Can the Minister give any indication that he will arm himself with some authority to deal with isolated cases of hardship of people who died after 1927? I think he is tied down, and that that matter was raised in the other House.

After the four years?

I do not think we can do anything. If they are outside the four-year period they are outside the scope of Part II of this Bill and there is nothing we can do. They may be covered already under other Acts.

Is it proposed to take the Committee Stage now?

Yes. We are proposing to take the Committee Stage now because the only possible from of amendment would be to increase the charge, which would not be in order. If Senator O'Donnell is contemplatiing an amendment, I would like to see him drafting it, because I could not.

Bill passed through Committee without recommendation and reported.
Question—"That the Bill be received for final consideration"—put and agreed to.
Question proposed: "That the Bill be returned to the Dáil."

I would like to ask a question of the Minister. I understand that no provision has been made under the Bill that disabled I.R.A. men should get free hospital treatment. I understand that quite an amount of agitation has been waged over this, and I would ask if the Minister has given it any consideration or whether under a Bill of this nature such provision could be entertained by him and made legal.

Of course, we could not do anything under this Bill. I am presuming that the Senator is referring now to the I.R.A. in general, not to any particular section?

Under the Acts, there is provision for the treatment of individuals who are in receipt of temporary disability pensions. These men are treated in St. Bricin's Hospital from time to time. That does not, however, apply to final pensioners or pensioners who are receiving "aggravation" pensions. There is no treatment afforded to the I.R.A. as a general body. With the hospital facilities that are available now and the general amenities, it is not necessary to bring them in under this at all.

At the request of some Deputies in the Dáil I made provision to enable payment to be made to the temporary pensioners to whom I have referred while they are in for treatment in St. Bricin's Hospital—when they are called up for examination and treatment. However, that was as far as it was possible for me to go at the time.

Question put and agreed to.
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