In asking that the House accept this motion, which has been put down in the name of the Labour Party, I wish briefly again to bring to the attention of the members of the House the plight of the various groups of individuals who are mentioned in it. I do not propose to deal with these groups on the basis of so many shillings per week which they receive in social welfare benefits because, for too long in this country has the position of the old aged, the widows and orphans, and the man with a family on unemployment assistance, been debated in terms of 15/-, 18/- or 25/- a week. Surely it is time that the underlying proposition of this motion should be the subject of examination in this House, and the subject of decision by this House? That is the examination of what amount of money, by way of assistance, by way of gratuity, and by way of pension would be required to ensure at least that these groups of individuals can combat hunger and live on something better than existence level.
The present rates of benefit under all headings bring about a situation under which, at all times, each and every one of these groups suffer severe hardship. For a moment does anyone have the hardihood to suggest that the family of a man in receipt of assistance, under our present code, does not suffer hardship by way of their inability to provide themselves with reasonable housing accommodation, their inability to provide clothing, to protect their bodies against the cold, the rain and the wet of winter, and do not suffer hardship by reason of the fact that their diet is a most meagre one? What applies to those in receipt of unemployment assistance, and even to those in receipt of unemployment benefit, applies equally to the case of the old aged, the widows and the orphans.
The Minister, or some of the representatives of his Party, may tell us that the cost of making adequate provision under these headings for that section of our community would take a considerable amount of money. It is true that to make adequate provision for these people will cost very substantial sums of money, but is the House and the Party forming the Government not under the obligation, accepted in a democratic body such as ours, to make adequate provision for the less well-off sections of the community? It must be a source of embarrassment and a source of shame to each and every one of us to meet members of unemployed families, members of families in receipt of assistance, and particularly the aged and the widows, and to realise that the allowances made to them are of so meagre a nature, and are so miserable, that no single day of their lives can they enjoy a minute's peace or a minute's genuine comfort.
How long does it take the family in receipt of unemployment assistance to get rid of the munificent sum the father gets in the unemployment exchange? Do we all not know that before that father leaves the unemployment exchange the amount he draws has gone because he has had to obtain credit, of some form or another, to obtain some of the necessaries of life for his family? The amount he draws at the employment exchange is in pawn ten times over for bread, tea, rent. From the very day on which he draws that money he is only sure of one thing that the following day he will have nothing and his family will be in the same way. They will again either have to go to sympathetic traders or go to neighbours or relatives in order to obtain food possibly. Most likely while they are under the hardship of having to obtain clothing for their families they will have to depend upon the generosity of charitable societies, the members of their families or their friends.
The old age pensioner relies solely on the old age pension to eke out a miserable existence. How long does that pension last? What value is it to him as far as providing shelter, clothing and a little food are concerned? There is not a Deputy in this House; there is not a public representative anywhere in the country and there is not a single person who has any contact with this section of the community—too many of the families of this nation have such contact—but must be aware that within hours of drawing that pension the pensioner concerned is waiting anxiously and hopelessly for the next few days to pass so that he can draw the pension again.
I recommend that the House should adopt this motion. It expresses the opinion in no uncertain terms that the general rates of benefits now paid are completely inadequate. I wonder whether the consideration in this matter should not be a consideration as to what extent the benefits or assistance now provided will ensure that the recipients under each heading will be enabled to have at least some little comfort in life.
I am afraid that for too many years in this country the only approach has been what it is going to cost. We can at times make money available for many forms of activity. We can make money available and have done so down the years in support of many speculative enterprises, but surely if it is possible to make any money available, the section that should get first consideration should be that section of our community named in the motion now before the House.
Cold and wet are no respecters of persons. I think reference was made in the course of the Fianna Fáil Ard-Fheis to the statement that some people had died of hardship in this country. I understand that the statement has been challenged and is being examined, but there can be no challenge and no denial of the fact that practically every individual, man, woman, boy, girl or infant in the sections of the community covered by this motion are living with hardship every hour of every day throughout every week of their lives.
Their homes are inadequately furnished, if furnished at all. Their bodies, if clothed, are clothed inadequately. Their diet is insufficient and also inadequate. It is certainly not the type of diet which any representative of the rural community would agree would be adequate for the animals in our countryside. But this is the diet upon which men and women, boys and girls are required to subsist to-day. I ask that this motion be adopted by the House.
