asked the Minister for Social Welfare if an old age pensioner residing with his unmarried daughter who is in receipt of an unmarried mother's allowance is regarded as eligible for a free electricity allowance and a free television licence.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Free Electricity and TV Licence Eligibility.
14.
In order to qualify for free electricity allowance and free television licence an old age pensioner must be living alone or only with certain categories of persons. An unmarried daughter receiving a social assistance allowance could not come within one of these categories unless the pensioner in question was an invalid and she was providing necessary care and attention.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary not consider that in this case the wife of the old age pensioner is a wheelchair case and is an invalid suffering from arthritis and he is giving a home to his daughter? Would he not consider granting the allowance to them?
If the Deputy has a specific case in mind I would be glad to go into it. I was replying to the general regulation. If there is a specific case which the Deputy has in mind I would be only too glad to examine it.
In actual fact the Department turned down this case.
A question, please, Deputy.
That is the reason I raised this matter here.
Of course, it would be impossible for me to answer a supplementary in relation to a particular case when a general question was asked. If the Department have turned down a particular case I am sure it was done within the regulations applying.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary not consider that these people should be included in the legislation because this man is providing a home for his daughter which she would not get otherwise?
There are very many things I see which are needed to improve the present social welfare system.