Centenarians bounty amount and recipients
Cosgrave asked whether the £50 bounty should rise to £100 and how many people received it; Colley said he had no plans to increase it and reported 153 recipients from 1973 to 1977. Belton suggested £100 would be affordable, and the Ceann Comhairle noted that the Minister had answered the question.
asked the Minister for Finance if he will increase the centenarians bounty to £100 and thus provide a fitting tribute to those who reach this age; and, if not, why.
4.
Comment on this
asked the Minister for Finance the number of persons who received the centenarians' bounty over the past five years.
Comment on this
I propose, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to take Questions Nos. 3 and 4 together.
The centenarians' bounty was increased from £5 to £50 with effect from 1 August 1970 and I am not considering increasing it further at present. The bounty is essentially a gesture or token of recognition and the amount itself has no special significance.
The total number of persons who received the bounty in the five years 1973 to 1977 was 153.
Comment on this
Did I understand the Minister to say that in a five-year period 153 people received the bounty?
Comment on this
Would the Minister agree that it would not strain the financial position too much to allow £1 for each year and give a bounty of £100?
