asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if, in view of the statement recently issued by his Department indicating that personal intervention by members of the Oireachtas on behalf of certain old age pension appellants has resulted in injustice to others, he will state what recompense, if any, has been made to those who suffered such injustice.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Old Age Pension Regulations.
Old age pension appellants suffered injustice from the additional anxiety caused to them when consideration of their appeals was unduly prolonged by reason of the fact that the personal intervention of members of the Oireachtas on behalf of certain claimants resulted in cases being dealt with out of their strict chronological order. As a further consequence of the intervention referred to, the Department was blamed for the undue delay which attended the consideration of numerous appeals. There is no way in which the injustice referred to could be dealt with except to amend the procedure which led to it. This object having been attained, no further action is required.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that an injustice is also inflicted upon these applicants, not only by reason of the fact that their cases were taken out of their chronological order, but also by reason of the fact that it was the established custom of the deciding officers to give their decisions verbally to the Deputy interviewing them, thereby giving a definite advantage to those on whose behalf an interview was sought as against those who had nobody to make representations for them? Is it not desirable, in view of that relative injustice as between those who had representations made on their behalf and those who had not, that something should be done to remedy that position and in some way to compensate those people who are not, perhaps, in close touch with a local political club or who have no Deputy to intervene on their behalf? I feel some compensation should be awarded them.
It is not intended to give any compensation in the manner suggested by the Deputy and the present procedure is to stand for the present. I should like to remind the Deputy that members of the public still have ample opportunity for making representations in regard to their cases and for seeking advice in connection with them.
I am quite aware that members of the public and Deputies have opportunities of making representations, but it is alleged by the Parliamentary Secretary that unjustifiable interference has taken place on behalf of certain applicants and that that unjustifiable political interference on behalf of certain applicants has inflicted an injustice upon those who had not representations made on their behalf. For that reason, I think those people should receive some consideration.