I consider that the increase which the Minister now proposes to give to old age pensioners is not in accordance with the increase proposed by Deputy Norton when Minister for Social Welfare. Prior to the general election, it was agreed that old age pensions were to be increased from 17/6 to £1, which meant that under the inter-Party Administration old age pensions were to be increased from 17/6 to £1. If the present Minister for Social Welfare had not become Minister and the inter-Party Government were in office, this increase would be given to the old age pensioners. During the election campaign, the present Taoiseach and the present Tánaiste spoke at length, wept very bitterly and groaned and cried severely about the old age pensioners. They stated, "If we are returned to power we will take steps to increase the old age pensions." I want to know from the Minister when it is proposed to introduce the Fianna Fáil increase for the old age pensioners as the increase now proposed is not an increase given as a result of the return to power of Fianna Fáil. The increase which was about to be given by Deputy Norton when Minister for Social Welfare was a very small one and left much to be desired. But it was one of the steps which the inter-Party Government took to improve the conditions of the old age pensioners in general. It was never meant to be the closing of the book as far as old age pensioners were concerned. The proposed increase of 2/6 was one of a few steps taken and one of many steps to be taken.
I feel disappointed, disheartened and disillusioned because the Minister for Social Welfare has not better news for the old age pensioners. The 2/6 now proposed has not the same value as it had when the inter-Party Government spoke of it. The cost of living has gone up even since I spoke here last Thursday evening. The Minister for Social Welfare will recall that I prophesied that in the meantime the cost of living would go up further and I was right. Since then the price of peas and beans, if old age pensioners consider them appetising, has gone up. The price of butter has gone up for the old age pensioners as the result of Fianna Fáil policy as well as the price of beans and peas. These are only three commodities which have risen in price in ten days. What is going to rise in price in the coming ten days? In my opinion, the proposed 2/6 has been reduced in value to 2/-. I want to know from the Minister what steps he is taking to bring the increase proposed up to a rate at which old age pensioners will be compensated for the rise in the cost of living as a result of the change-over from the inter-Party Government to the Fianna Fáil Government. Will the Minister give the reasons why he turns the blind eye and the deaf ear to the granting of old age pensions at 65 and why, in accordance with the wishes of Cork Deputies, he is so anxious to encourage people between 65 and 70 to have recourse to the labour exchanges. The Minister says that these people will be paid sickness and unemployment benefits, but at what rates? Is he taking any steps to see that unemployment benefits will be increased to a level which will meet the present soaring and the ever-rising cost of living? What is he going to do about the sickness benefit which he is to provide for the people between 65 and 70?
From reading the speech of the Minister of the 27th October, 1947, when he was dealing with the means test in relation to this issue, I am sure he is quite well aware of the conditions under which old age pensioners are compelled to live. I am anxious to hear from the Minister when he proposes to be in a position to tell this House what will be done by the Fianna Fáil Government—by the set-up, the majority of which is made up of Fianna Fáil—for people between the ages of 65 and 70. I now tell the old age pensioners and the members of all Parties in this House that, as a result of the present set-up, people between the ages of 65 and 70 are being deprived of old age pensions. I hope that Fianna Fáil Deputies from my constituency will take the responsibility of standing over the fact that every person in Laois-Offaly who is between the ages of 65 and 70 is now deprived of the old age pension for which the inter-Party Government were making arrangments. I hope they will stand over that. I hope that every Deputy who has pledged his support to the present set-up for the next 12 months will be honest enough with his constituents and say that he has supported the present set-up, led by the Taoiseach, Mr. de Valera, and that as a result of supporting that set-up, which contains some very strange characters within it, he has now deliberately kept the unfortunate people from the State benefits which were being prepared for them had the inter-Party Government been returned to office.
I do not desire to elaborate further as we will have an opportunity on the Estimate of dealing with this matter but in all sincerity I am requesting the Minister for Social Welfare to change his attitude completely, to change the attitude of the Minister for Finance and the attitude of the whole set-up towards old age pensioners.
I wonder what criticism or appreciation comes from the people of the increase that is being passed. I cannot see who will appreciate 2/- coming in the form of 2/6. I cannot see how there can be any expression of appreciation of it on the part of the old age pensioner who was expecting greater and much better things from Dr. Ryan as Minister for Social Welfare in view of the fact that on more than one occasion during the election campaign the votes of the old age pensioners were captured by the tears that were shed about the conditions under which they exist. Will the Minister now be honest enough to tell us that as far as his Government is concerned they are finished and done with the old age pensioner and that the Bill which is now before the House would not even have crossed the mind of the present Minister if it were not for the fact that it was something that we had left him and that he had to complete?
I am sincerely sorry for the old age pensioners if they are now to be met with the same treatment as was meted out to them in 1947 and 1948. I hope that that will not be the case in future. I trust the Minister has completely changed his attitude as far as the whole system of payment of old age pensions is concerned.
Deputy Peadar Cowan on last Thursday stated in an indirect way that I cast a slight reflection on people who were unfortunate enough to be the recipients of home assistance by styling them paupers. I am sorry that Deputy Cowan is not in the House during this debate. Certainly it would be very interesting to hear how Deputy Cowan, Deputy ffrench-O'Carroll and Dr. Browne will explain to the large number of old age pensioners in their constituencies in the City of Dublin that as a result of their activities on the 13th June the old age pensioners and people between the ages of 65 and 70 have been deprived of the legislation that we were preparing for them and that they have stood by and watched without murmur or protest the cost of living increasing by leaps and bounds.
I sympathise with anyone who has to draw home assistance. I sympathise with the person who has to exist on the charity of the local conferences of St. Vincent de Paul, but even Fianna Fáil Deputies are aware that body and soul are kept together in certain areas as a result of charity extended to unfortunate people through home assistance and by the goodness of St. Vincent de Paul Societies. Have we not many cases of persons between the ages of 65 and 70 who do not qualify for old age pension and who are unable to work, despite any attempt that may be made by the Minister for Social Welfare to encourage them to work? Assuming that they have no contributions, their allowances for ill-health will be very small and will not be sufficient to keep body and soul together, more especially if the cost of living continues to rise, as it has done in the past fortnight. I should like to know what provision will be made for those people. Why is the Minister remaining silent concerning the achievement of his ambition to relieve the lot of those people?
I maintain that this 2/6 is an insult to the old age pensioners. It is very far from what they should get. I am disappointed with it. I am also disappointed with the Minister's attitude concerning the conditions attached to the old age pensions, the age at which it is granted and the allowance to be given. I propose at a very early date, when opportunity presents itself, to put down a motion asking the House to approve of the granting of old age pensions at 65, at a rate of not less than 25/- a week. Even at that rate it would be very little to meet the cost of living. I hope and trust that the Minister will see his way to lighten the burden on local authorities who are paying out large sums in home assistance and to make the job easy for the conferences of St. Vincent de Paul who are keeping body and soul together in the case of the majority of old people in rural areas and in urban areas. I hope and trust the Minister will see fit to have the whole system of old age pensions reconsidered and completely reconstructed and to see that allowances are made so that the ald age pensioner may live in accordance with Christian decency.