asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he considers a British war widow's pension should be one of the prescribed pensions or allowances for entitlement to the free electricity allowance, provided that the recipient is 66 years of age or over.

A widow who is receiving a British war widow's pension and is over 66 years of age may be entitled to a free electricity allowance if she is also in receipt of one of the pensions or allowances specified in the free electricity allowance scheme. That scheme is designed to assist recipients of social welfare type pensions and allowances and I do not contemplate its extension in the way suggested.

If the lady involved is not in receipt of one of these other allowances, would the Minister consider granting her this free electricity allowance? There are not too many ladies involved and they are all Irish nationals.

I could not undertake to consider it at present. This is the sort of thing which might come up in the annual review of all these matters at budget time.

May I take it that the Minister will give it careful thought in his annual review?

Now that the Deputy has asked me to do so, I will certainly do so.

Is the Minister saying nothing could happen for 12 months?

I did not say that. As Deputies are probably aware, my method of proceeding is to try to sort out all the different complaints Deputies make by way of questions, or correspondence, or otherwise, and see what can be done at budget time to meet many of those which have surfaced most persistently during the year.

Does that mean it could be 12 months before this could be dealt with?

Not necessarily.

Is the Minister anticipating that there may be a budget in less than 12 months?

I thought the Deputy was genuinely seeking information.