asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether any supervision is exercised by his Department to ensure that meetings of the old age pension committees are held regularly.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Old Age Pension Committees.
2.
There is no general scheme of supervision, nor has the necessity for such arisen. Except in a small number of urban centres and in Clare County, the determination of old age pension claims is delegated to pension subcommittees. These bodies are not, in this respect "local authorities" and I am advised that I have no powers which would enable me to supervise them by regular inspection and check.
I am sure the Parliamentary Secretary will agree with me that it could be most inconvenient, and a source of hardship to old age pension applicants, if consideration of their applications is delayed because the committees do not meet at regular intervals. Would the Parliamentary Secretary, therefore, bear in mind the desirability of calling the attention of the pension committees to the necessity for dealing expeditiously with such claims, since they frequently come from persons who have no source of income whatever?
In regard to meetings for the consideration and determination of claims and questions, the regulations require, under Article 11, that a meeting shall be held within seven days of the receipt of the claim or a question. At the same time, the committees are not required to meet more often than once a month. It is, in fact, known that many committees do not hold a meeting each month. If a particular case is brought to the Department's notice, of a claim being adversely affected by delay or neglect on the part of the pension committee or sub-committee, the matter will be taken up specially with the committee. If this course fails, the papers are withdrawn from the committee and submitted for decision to an appeals officer, as provided by the Social Welfare (Assistance Decisions and Appeals) Regulations, 1953, Article 9 (3). If any Deputy wishes to direct the attention of the Minister to any particular case in which there is a delay, it will get the Minister's personal attention.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that there is widespread delay in this matter, as far as I know, in the country? Will he not consider sending a circular to each of these committees, re-advising them of their duties in this connection? That would be a much simpler method.
I would also ask the Parliamentary Secretary to authorise Social Welfare officers, who are in close touch with the committees, to ask these committees to refer to the Social Welfare officers any applications for old age pensions, where they think, for one reason or another, that it will not be possible to convene a meeting of the committee within seven days of the receipt of the application. That would ensure that there could be no delay.
I shall bear the remarks of both Deputies in mind and I shall convey them to the Minister.
I take it that the Parliamentary Secretary will be able to give us a reassuring statement on this matter when his Estimates are discussed in about a fortnight's time.