asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of people in receipt of the prescribed relative's allowance for old age pensioners.

There are at present 3,093 pensioners of my Department in receipt of a prescribed relative allowance.

Would the Minister consider revising the regulations so as to provide payment of this allowance in cases other than where there is no person in the house apart from the aged person, the person looking after him or an invalid or children? Also, would the Minister consider increasing the amount of this allowance so that old people who wish to die at home can be kept at home? This is something that I have been advocating for a number of years.

This does not really arise out of the question so perhaps to answer off the cuff might not be the best way of dealing with it. At the outset the allowance was payable only in respect of a daughter or a step-daughter but it may be paid now also in respect of the following relatives of a pensioner: brother, half-brother, son, step-son, grandson, son-in-law, nephew, sister, half-sister, granddaughter, daughter-in-law and niece. If the Deputy would like to make the matter the subject of another question I could have it looked into more attentively.

My question was totally relevant. The position is that if there is a second fit person in the house the allowance is not payable. The allowance may be payable even if a person is not related to the old person concerned and my point is that this is discrimination against relatives.

The scheme which was introduced in January 1969 provided for an increase in the pension of a person who was incapacitated and who was in receipt of an old age pension or in the case of a widow's contributory scheme, a person who had reached pensionable age. The scheme has been extended since to include a number of others. The group mentioned by the Deputy is worthy of examination and I will look into the matter and contact the Deputy again in regard to it.