asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he intends to provide allowances for incapacitated persons who have not reached pension age and for whom the local authority cannot provide sufficient money to allow them to procure the necessities of life.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Incapacitated Persons' Allowances.
1.
The Social Welfare Acts and the Health Acts already include provision for payments to incapacitated persons under pensionable age. For example, incapacitated persons insured under the Social Welfare Acts may receive disability benefit, an invalidity pension or occupational injuries benefit; while incapacitated persons on low incomes may receive a blind pension from my Department or a disabled person's or infectious diseases maintenance allowance from a health board. As the Deputy is, no doubt, aware all these payments were raised substantially this year.
In cases where an incapacitated person who is in need is not qualified for any of these payments or where additional financial help is required he may, like other necessitous persons, seek home assistance.
I might add that I shall shortly be submitting to the Government proposals for reform and improvement of this latter service.