asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether he intends to introduce legislation to provide that, prior to 15th March, 1974, the qualifying age will be reduced to 65 and the means test will be abolished for applicants for non-contributory old age pensions.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Non-Contributory Old Age Pensions.
78.
I would remind the Deputy that, under the provisions of the Social Welfare Act, 1973, the means test for non-contributory old age pension has been substantially relaxed and the qualifying age reduced to 69 years from the beginning of this month.
No further changes in the means test or qualifying age are contemplated at present.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary agree that it would be desirable that the reply he has just given should receive the maximum publicity from the media so that the public may judge for themselves the value and the veracity of promises made on behalf of the present Government?
They got their social welfare benefits this week.
The amount of publicity that has been given by the Department of Social Welfare in the last few weeks pointing out the very substantial increases in benefits to the public by virtue of the budget proposals has exceeded anything that was done by the previous administration both by way of informing the public and by benefit to the public.
Are we to take it that this is the reply on behalf of the Minister and of the Government to a barefaced breach of a promise made by the Parliamentary Secretary's colleague, the present Minister for Local Government, in the presence and with the concurrence of the present Minister for Foreign Affairs before thousands of people on television?
What the Deputy can take is that what has been done already is a clear indication to the public of the concern and the intention of this Government to fulfil all the promises made.
That is not what the Minister for Local Government promised.