asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will comment on the Government Information Bureau statement that officers of his Department were to blame for mistakes in overpayment of old age pensions; if having regard to the poor circumstances of old age pensioners he will permit the payment of the allowance originally granted by his Department; and if, in order to prevent further mistakes and overpayments, he will now consider the abolition of the means test for all old age pensioners.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Old Age Pension Overpayments.
78.
As has already been stated in the press, this matter is the subject of correspondence between the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Accounting Officer of my Department and I do not propose to make any comment thereon.
With regard to the latter part of the Deputy's question, the abolition of the means test for old age pensions would cost approximately £7,500,000 and the Deputy's suggestion, which is tantamount to a proposal that expenditure of this order should be incurred annually to prevent a relatively small number of mistakes, would be absurd.
Is that a net or a gross cost?
It is the gross cost.
Has the Minister got the net cost?
No.