Vol. 220 No. 4
asked the Minister for Defence if he will have steps taken to restore the pre-January 1966 level of special allowances paid to persons in receipt of disability benefit, so as not to deprive such persons of the value of the increases in disability benefit paid to them.
47.
asked the Minister for Defence if he is aware that persons in receipt of special allowance have been notified that, in cases where they are also entitled to social welfare disability benefit, their special allowance will be either reduced or terminated from the date of the recent increases in social welfare benefits; and if he will take steps to ensure that this reduction in the special allowance payments is cancelled.
48.
asked the Minister for Defence the number of recipients of special allowances under the Army Pensions Act whose special allowances were reduced since 1st January 1966; and the total number of recipients of special allowances.
I propose, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 46, 47, and 48 together.
One-half of disability benefit has always been assessed as means for special allowances purposes, and consequently an increase in disability benefit has always involved an adjustment of a special allowance where the recipient is also in receipt of disability benefit. In all such cases, however, the overall income from public funds is increased, seeing that only one-half of the increase in disability benefit is assessed. I do not propose to change the system.
The number of special allowances being paid on 31st December, 1965, was 8,546. On the basis of figures extracted when the position was last examined in August, 1965, it may be assumed that about ten per cent of the recipients were also in receipt of disability benefit and so qualified for the increase in that benefit which became effective as from 3rd January, 1966.
Would the Minister reconsider this matter, especially in this present year? Will he not agree that it would be a nice gesture to mark the 50th anniversary of the Rising, the Rising in which these men took part? It is stated in the reply that only ten per cent of the recipients are affected and that surely would be a very small number.
There is no evidence that these 8,546 men in receipt of special allowances took part in the Rising at all. The majority of them belong to the subsequent movement, between 1917 and 1921.
They are not patriots at all.
These are special allowances which were brought in with the object of providing an allowance, not a means of livelihood.
They had to be when there was a means test.
There is no assessment of means on the increase they get in service and disability pensions or on any of the other social welfare benefits to which they might be entitled.
