asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether he is aware that home assistance authorities are refusing to pay home assistance to persons who are in employment but whose earnings are insufficient to preserve them from want and suffering, and that these authorities have stated that they can relieve such persons only if they cease work and register at the employment exchange; whether such action on the part of the authorities is governed by regulations or instructions issued by his Department, and, if so, if he will state date of issue of such regulations or instructions, and the statutory authority thereof.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Refusal of Home Assistance.
I am not aware that the public assistance authorities are acting in the manner indicated by the Deputy, and my Department has not issued any instructions on those lines.
If the Deputy will let me have particulars of any cases where hardship has occurred, I will have them examined.
Is the Minister aware that the whole circumstances to which I have referred were published in the public Press last week and that, owing to the action of the manager and the home assistance authorities, the funds of the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Youghal were exhausted within a week?
I am not aware that such is the case in any particular area. If the Deputy will let me have particulars of the matter, I will undertake to have it examined. A regulation was made under the Public Assistance Act of 1939 and that may be the difficulty to which the Deputy refers.
What is that regulation?
It was made in 1942 and it lays down certain conditions for the assistance of people who would have some employment, but not sufficient to give them a decent livelihood.
The men I am alluding to here are fishermen who had a bad season from 1st February. There was one boat which caught only four fish in three weeks, and these men and their families are only entitled to a one-sixth share of those four fish. I went to the manager and the manager refused to pay home assistance to them. I again raised the matter with the board of assistance of which I am chairman and the whole matter was published in the public Press.
It may be that the manager is relying on the regulation to which I have referred and which was made in 1942.
You said you were not aware of such regulation.
I said there were no instructions given by my Department.
If the Minister gets the information from Deputy Corry in writing, will he consider it and the reports from the manager and home assistance officer in every aspect?
I will.
That would be better than looking up at the gallery.
I do not think Deputy Desmond's remark will help to feed the fishermen of Youghal.
If the fishermen of Youghal are not fed, it is the regulation made by Deputy MacEntee when he was Minister that is responsible.