asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will transfer ESB unit entitlement of old age pensioners who are patients in private nursing homes to those homes where they are convalescing.

Persons who are in receipt of the free electricity allowance and who are admitted to a hospital or nursing home continue automatically to receive the allowance for six months and where there is a reasonable prospect of their returning to their own homes the allowance is further continued subject to periodic review. The persons concerned are thereby relieved of the normal fixed charge as well as the cost of any units within the limits of the allowance used in their absence. I consider that this arrangement is in the best interests of the great majority of persons benefiting under the scheme. I do not think that it would be practicable to amend the scheme in the manner suggested by the Deputy.