asked the Minister for Local Government whether he will amend the Local Government (Rates) Waiver Regulations, 1970 so as to allow special additional consideration to be given to applicants who are permanently invalided.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Rates Waiver Regulations.
10.
There is no need to amend the regulations referred to in order to permit rating authorities to give special consideration to applicants who are permanently invalided. The initiative in the matter of the adoption of rates waiver schemes and in the determination of the categories of ratepayers to be catered for in such schemes rests with each rating authority and is not restricted by the regulations. I might mention that the rates waiver schemes of most local authorities contain specific provision for the consideration of applications for relief of rates from persons in receipt of the disabled person's maintenance allowance and, in addition, include a "special hardship" clause under which cases falling outside the categories specified in the schemes may also be considered.
While the regulations may permit this, is the Minister aware that not all local authorities give this special consideration and, everything being equal, in the schemes published by some local authorities there is no mention of certain categories being entitled to this consideration and would the Minister bring it to the attention of such authorities that they may do this?
Is the Deputy thinking of Donegal?
Yes.
Donegal has a specific regulation in their scheme which says that the categories referred to in the preceding subparagraph, those who will qualify, are recipients of home assistance, non-contributory old age pension, non-contributory widow's pension, blind pension, disabled person's maintenance allowance, contributory old age pension with other means not exceeding 75p a week and persons whose sole income in the year ended 31st December, 1976, does not exceed the statutory allowance payable on any date in the year ending 31st December, 1976, to persons with similar family circumstances in the categories mentioned above. In fact, Donegal is being very generous in this because, out of 2,729 applicants, 2,431 were allowed; out of 29 applicants in the special hardship clause I have referred to 28 were allowed, and the amount of rates waiver was £59,634 last year. This year I notice it is on the motion of Councillor Coughlan, seconded by a Councillor Boggs, so it seems that both sides are in favour of dealing with it in this way.
I am afraid, perhaps due to the nature of my question, that I did not really bring to the Minister's notice what I am really after: it is not that the disabled are not so allowed a waiver of rates. That has never been my suggestion. But where there is a cash limit that applies to any applicant for a waiver of rates regardless of categories that limit should be extended specifically to take into account those who are disabled but who may be just over that limit. I am referring to invalided people who may have an income which exceeds the actual limit in the regulations and there is no special consideration given to them.
They are covered because there is a special category. The people Deputy Blaney is referring to come under the special category. In other words, they are over the limit and for that reason they are not covered in the normal way. A total of 29 of them applied in Donegal and 28 of them were allowed. It is fairly wide and I believe it is being fairly well availed of now. There are some counties still which are not operating it and I regret that that is so.
It does not mean that because practically everybody who applied for a waiver of rates in Donegal got it that that means a generous approach. In fact it may mean a very prudent approach by the applicants. Not all disabled people have been catered for——
This is Question Time. Brief questions, please.
——in spite of repeated applications to the said county council.
I would be glad if Deputy Blaney could let me have details of the specific cases to which he is referring. As far as I am concerned, it appears that Donegal have been operating this scheme reasonably generously. I have no evidence of what Deputy Blaney tells me, that that is not so. If he gives me specific instances I will be only too glad to have a look at them.
I will be glad to do that.