asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is in a position to state the number of wives in Dublin city and county who have been deserted by their husbands; and, if so, what that number is.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Deserted Wives.
49.
I have not got this information. I can, however, inform the Deputy that, according to the Dublin Health Authority, home assistance was, at a recent date, being paid to 191 women whose husbands were stated to have deserted them or to be absent from home and not supporting their families.
Perhaps the Minister will agree that the information that home assistance is payable to 191 women is not quite the same as giving the number of deserted wives? Could I ask the Minister does he not agree that in any Dublin housing centre the problem of the deserted wife is one of the most tragic problems which one continually encounters? If the Minister agrees with this, has he any intention of acquiring the statistical information to which I refer? This is the first step towards solving the problem.
Legislation to provide social assistance for this class of person is in preparation. No doubt when that is enacted statistics will become available fairly rapidly.
Does the Minister think there is any association between the figure of 191 which he has just given and the actual number of deserted wives in the Dublin area?
I do not think there is any association between these figures but that is the only information at my disposal.
Will the Minister take steps to get the information?
If the Deputy can work out some way of finding out the number of deserted wives in the city I wish he would tell me about it.