asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will introduce proposals for legislation to enable Cork Corporation tenants in the Spangle Hill and Gurranebraher areas who are at present in receipt of unemployment and home assistance at rural rates to receive benefits at the same rates as if they were resident within the county borough, in view of the fact that they are forced to live outside the borough boundary as a result of the shortage of housing and building space within the boundary or to the demolition of their original houses situated within the boundary.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Position of Cork Corporation Tenants.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he has received a resolution from the South Cork Board of Public Assistance on the position of corporation tenants residing in Spangle Hill and Gurranebraher who are only getting unemployment assistance at the rural rate; and, if so, whether he will introduce proposals for legislation to ensure that unemployed persons living in corporation houses outside the borough boundaries will be entitled to the city rate of unemployment assistance.
I propose, with your permission, a Chinn Comhairle, to answer Questions 2 and 3 together.
I have received the resolution from the South Cork Board of Public Assistance, and am aware of the position which has obtained at Spangle Hill for a number of years. The question of introducing legislation amending the Unemployment Assistance Acts for the purpose of enabling residents in houses owned by the local authority of a county or other borough, urban district or town under the Towns Improvement (Ireland) Act, 1854, but situated outside such area, to receive unemployment assistance at the rates applicable to residents in the area, is at present under active consideration in connection with a proposal to amend the Unemployment Assistance Acts.
In regard to home assistance, the position is that the public assistance authority is responsible for the payment of home assistance. The amount payable to any individual is determined by the public assistance authority and I have no function in the matter.
In view of the fact that this question has been in abeyance for ten years, will the Minister consider doing something to help those people?
I am aware of the fact that this position has continued for at least ten years and I have sympathy with the persons affected and with the viewpoint put in the question. All I can say is that I hope, in the amending legislation foreshadowed in the reply, to remove the difficulty which has persisted for so long.
The Minister is of course aware that during the past six years these people were paid out of State funds through the food voucher scheme.
I am aware of one main consideration in the whole matter. That is that it is an obvious difficulty which could have been met in a very obvious way, not to-day, but nearly ten years ago.
Can the Minister say if there is any proposal to extend the borough boundary of Cork which might meet the situation, the subject matter of this question?
That is a matter in the first instance for the Cork Corporation and, in the second instance, for the Minister for Local Government. It does not come within the purview of my Department. I cannot, therefore, express an opinion on it.