Before we proceed, I should like to mention to the House that there is a formal drafting amendment to which Deputy O'Sullivan referred. That is the only amendment.
Committee on Finance. - Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, 1962 — Committee and Final Stages.
It is an amendment to Section 12.
Section 1 to 11, inclusive, agreed to.
SECTION 12.
I move amendment No. 1:
In page 6, line 36, to delete "Principal Act" and to insert "Act of 1952."
The reason for that, as Deputy O'Sullivan pointed out, is that the term "Principal Act" has not been defined. The Act we are referring to is the Act of 1952.
I am glad the Minister is meeting that point.
Amendment agreed to.
Section 12, as amended, agreed to.
Section 13 to 15, inclusive, agreed to.
Title agreed to.
Bill reported with amendment and received for final consideration.
Question proposed: "That the Bill do now pass."
Could the Minister elucidate what the verbiage in subparagraph 2 of paragraph (b) of Section 4 is intended to convey?
It is difficult to understand, I agree. Table B was adequate to deal with the means limits as they are where the number of dependent children was not taken into account. It is possible, by extending the means limit up to £182, to deal with means up to that limit. Now we are arranging that there will be a further extension in the means limit of £13 per annum in respect of each additional child of a widow. That could not be covered by any extension of Table B. It is necessary to put in that additional subsection in order to describe that process of taking into account the extra children.
I accept the explanation, although it is not very clear.
To do it in a table would take up an excessive amount of room.
The Minister has included a very good proposal to allow widows with no children to qualify for a pension at the age of 40 as against 48. He said only 120 would benefit. I was under the impression that a greater number would benefit.
This amendment applies only to widows who have already been in receipt of a widow's pension.
But the new qualifying age will be 40?
No. Prior to this, if a widow had dependent children and if, prior to reaching the age of 47 years six months, her last dependent child ceased to be qualified, then the total pension finished. Even her personal pension finished. I am reducing the age for that purpose to 40 instead of 48. The position with regard to new entrants remains the same.
Still 48?
Yes, 48 is still the qualifying age for a widow without dependents.
That is a niggardly one. We did not know it in time.
It means that a widow will not have to change her whole way of life when her last child ceases to be qualified.
It is good, but not good enough.
Question put and agreed to.
The Dáil adjourned at 10.55 p.m. until 11 a.m. on Wednesday, 18th July, 1962.