Question 18, which was on the Order Paper to-day, and the subject-matter of which I desire to raise on the Motion for the Adjournment, was as follows:
To ask the Minister for Local Government and Public Health whether the claim of Mrs. Mary Finlay, Tullyvogey, Tydavnet, Monaghan, for an increase in her old age pension is now before him on appeal by the pensions officer; whether he will state the approximate date upon which this claim will be decided, and whether he will also state in detail the headings under which the pensions officer has assessed her income, and the amount attributed to her under each heading.
The Minister's reply was very brief. He said that such a claim was at present before the Department on appeal. I asked the Minister to come down to details, as in such a case as this the Old Age Pension Acts and the regulations governing them are complicated. From the knowledge of them previously displayed in this House by the Minister, I have been driven to the conclusion that he does not understand much about the matter. I do not think it is right that he should get away with such a discourteous reply as that which he gave in this particular case. I submit that it is not to the credit of the Minister, and that if he were as wise as he is discourteous in this particular instance he would not make such desperate attempts to secure economy at the expense of the class of the community involved in this question. It is hard to see any adequate reason why the Minister should not inform us as to the approximate date upon which this question will be decided. One would imagine that that was not too much to ask, yet the Minister refused to give that information. He refused to tell us how the pensions officer arrived at the amount of income attributed to this old lady and refused to tell us the headings under which each item of income was put down and the amount attributed to her under each heading. It seems extraordinary that such obstacles are put in the way of claimants to old age pensions, while every facility is placed at the disposal of pensions officers whose business it is to secure that old age pensions will cost the State as little as possible. When evidence is submitted on behalf of a claimant, whose case is appealed to the Local Government Department, by a Deputy or anyone else acting on behalf of the claimant, the evidence is sent to the pensions officer for his criticism. He is afforded opportunity to criticise, find fault, and pick holes in such evidence if he can. The claimant is not informed at any time of the case which, is being made against him or her by the pensions officer. I submit that that is utterly unfair.