asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health whether he is aware that widows who are in receipt of a widow's pension from the British Government applying in this State for an issue of food vouchers are refused such vouchers on the grounds that the pension is not paid by the Irish Government; whether he will state the grounds on which a widow, in such circumstances, is refused an issue of food vouchers under these conditions; whether, in fact, the widow of an Irish workman who died in Great Britain while temporarily employed there is entitled to a widow's non-contributory pension in this country if she is normally domiciled here irrespective of whether she is receiving a British pension; and whether, if such women are not entitled to pensions or vouchers, he will introduce proposals for amending the law so as to permit of the provision of pensions and vouchers for those in poor circumstances.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Widows' Claim to Food Vouchers.
The only widows, as such, who are entitled to food vouchers are widows who are in receipt of pension under the Widows' and Orphans' Pensions Acts, the vouchers being in the nature of an increase in the rate of pension under those Acts. A widow's non-contributory pension under the Acts may be granted to a widow in receipt of a British widow's pension, provided her means are within the statutory limit and she is otherwise qualified, and such widow, in virtue of her Irish widow's pension, would be entitled to food vouchers if she resided in the area to which the food voucher system applies.
It is not intended to extend the classes to which food vouchers are issued. Persons outside those classes, if in necessitous circumstances, are eligible for the grant of home assistance and if in receipt of such assistance are eligible for the grant of additional assistance in kind, the cost of which is recouped to the local authority from the provision of £170,000 made in the current year in sub-head J (4) of the Vote for Local Government and Public Health.
Do I understand the Parliamentary Secretary to say that a widow with a British widow's pension would be entitled to receive a non contributory pension, if her means are inside a statutory limit?
A widow is entitled to receive a supplementary non-contributory pension if the means test permits it.
Is that not impossible? If she gets a widow's pension from Britain, she could not possibly conform to the requirements here. I had a decision to that effect from the Department to-day.