I am not aware that the supply of milk has been stopped by any board of health.
Private Notice Question. - Home Assistance and Free Milk.
Mr. Davin asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health whether he is aware that certain boards of health have suspended the payment of home assistance to married men with families, that the families of those previously in receipt of and entitled to receive home assistance under existing regulations have also been recently refused a supply of free milk and whether he will issue immediate instructions to all the local authorities concerned authorising them to make provision for a supply of free milk to all who are qualified for the receipt of home assistance.
The Offaly County Board of Health.
By the Offaly County Board of Health or any other county board of health. There is in progress at present a revision of the arrangements under which the free milk is granted, but pending the adoption of the new arrangements there is no necessity for stopping the supply of milk. The reply I have here is:—
I am aware that in certain counties the public assistance authorities have in view of their financial position given instructions that the lists of able-bodied unemployed should be carefully reviewed so as to confine assistance to cases of absolute necessity. The existing regulations enable supplies to be made only to necessitous children whose parents are in receipt of home assistance.
I have under consideration the introduction of arrangements which will enable as from the 1st July next, the supply of milk to necessitous children without regard to the existing restriction.
It may not be possible to introduce those arrangements before the 1st October, but they are at present under review. In the meantime the money is there for the supply of milk.
In effect that means that those who are qualified to apply for and receive home assistance, and who could not get it because of the shortage of funds, are not going to be in future deprived of the supply of free milk which was previously granted?
An amount was granted to the local authorities last year. The same amount has been put in the Estimate this year. The same arrangements are, so far, in operation. Of course there may be cases where the fund is exhausted. Of that I am not aware. If the fund is exhausted then I suppose milk is not available until the new money is available. The new money is available now.