asked the Minister for Defence if he will consider, as a fitting tribute on the occasion of the golden jubilee of the 1916 Rising, granting one year's pension to the surviving members of the old IRA who were on active service and who are in receipt of disability award, as a gesture of appreciation of their service to the nation; and if such payment will be made to them before the coming Christmas.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Commemoration of 1916 Rising.
39.
It is not proposed to make any financial grants such as those suggested by the Deputy.
Seeing that those pensions are so extremely small, does the Minister not think it would be a fitting recognition of the fiftieth anniversary of 1916 to give this request some consideration? I know a lady who carried a machine gun 12 miles and for this she enjoys 2/10½d a week.
I have already answered the question. It is not proposed to make any financial grants such as those suggested in the question.
(Interruptions.)
Could the Minister say what this would cost?
I have not got the cost.
The Minister has just refused it out of hand?
There are Old IRA organisations quite capable of looking after the interests of IRA pensioners. Deputy Donegan should consult his Chief Whip and ask him what he thinks about people who served this country in the Old IRA.
I take grave exception to the Minister's suggestion that Deputies here cannot take any interest in people in this country, in whatever section they are, and that includes the Old IRA.
I did not make any suggestion of that kind.
The Minister suggested it was not my business. It is, and every Deputy's.
(Interruptions.)
Order.
There are organisations which have been looking after those people for a number of years past, and this Government made enactments and did much for the people who served in the Old IRA.
The Minister is not looking after them.
They even had to make the Minister buy Irish.