Vol. 286 No. 2
asked the Minister for Defence if he will now arrange to have the conditions that applied to the widows of Old IRA service pensioners applied also to widows of special allowance recipients to enable them to qualify for a part of their late husbands' pensions.
36.
asked the Minister for Defence if he will arrange to grant a part of his Department's pension funds to widows of special allowance recipients as is done in the case of military service pensioners.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 36 together.
It is not proposed to provide for the payment of allowances to the widows of special allowance holders. As I indicated when concluding the debate on the Supplementary Estimates for Defence and Army Pensions on the 5th November, 1975, there is a basic difference between military service pensions and special allowances and I do not consider that it would be appropriate to provide for allowances along the lines indicated by the Deputy.
Is the Minister not aware that there is a means test which means that a special allowance is given by virtue of the fact that the recipient has no means other than the old age pension? In deference to men who gave their services when they were needed would the Minister not now consider the matter, particularly having regard to the fact that the fund is building up, if my information is correct? There is no extra cost to the Exchequer because there is a fund there and the money is transferred immediately and would the Minister not now consider that these widows who are left worse off because of their husbands demise are entitled to some form of assistance by way of allowance?
The Deputy is making a speech.
The Deputy is mistaken. The Deputy asked me if I was aware, as of course I am, that there is a means test as far as special allowances are concerned. The position is not as the Deputy says it is. There is no such fund. If one were to grant the minimum military service pension to all the widows of special allowance holders, the cost to the Exchequer is estimated at £546,000 for a full year and the cost of granting them half the deceased husband allowances would be £465,000 a year. As the Deputy will understand, military service pensions are like any other pensions, such as civil service pensions and so on, issued in respect of service given and the policy has been to give widows a portion of their deceased husbands' pensions. When the holder of a special allowance dies, the widow may even be better off because the special allowance holder will not, unfortunately, at that stage require sustenance and she is in no worse position than any other widow.
I am not asking that the widow get half the husband's allowance. If the Minister gave £2 per week to all of them, the cost would not be very great and these are people for whom the nation should have respect.
The position is that the average annual special allowance is £195 and the cost of giving half that would be £465,000 to the Exchequer and, if one gave them the same as military service pensioners' widows, it would be £546,000.
All I am asking for is an allowance of £2 a week.
It is now four o'clock. Does the House wish to deal with the two remaining questions addressed to the Minister for Defence?
They are Deputy Dowling's question and he wants to leave them over until tomorrow.
The remaining questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper.
