asked the Minister for Social Welfare if in view of the fact that the same allowances are not granted to women in receipt of blind pensions as are granted to men he will introduce legislation to remove this anomaly.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Blind Pensioners' Allowances.
17.
I assume that the Deputy is referring to the weekly cash allowances provided for blind persons under local authority schemes for the welfare of the blind. The local authorities have discretionary power to decide what allowance to pay, within the limits of the approved rates, having regard to the circumstances of each case.
Arising out of the Parliamentary Secretary's reply, I was told in his Department that neither the Department nor the local authority have any discretion to grant an allowance in the case of a blind person, when that person is a woman.
The Deputy is misinformed. We do not interfere. Blind people, irrespective of whether they are men or women, get the same blind pension from the Department of Social Welfare, but we do not interfere in the question of the allowance paid by the local authority.
The Parliamentary Secretary misunderstands me. No allowance is made in the case of a woman who is blind. There is no allowance made for dependents, when it is the woman who is blind, whereas there is an allowance made when it is the man who is blind.
There is an allowance for blind persons over 16 and under 21 years of age; blind persons of 21 years of age, and upwards; a married man with a dependent wife; and married men with children.
That is the point; the men have the allowance but the women have not.
A widow would have the allowance, too.
If I give the Parliamentary Secretary a particular case, perhaps he will put it right.
I shall look into it.
Question No. 18 postponed.