Old Age Pensions Act, 1932

Pensions for blind persons over 30.

6.—In lieu of section 1 (repealed by this Act) of the Blind Persons Act, 1920 , it is hereby enacted that every blind person who has attained the age of thirty years shall be entitled to receive and to continue to receive such pension as, under the Old Age Pensions Acts, 1908 to 1928, as amended by this Act, he would be entitled to receive if he had attained the age of seventy years, and the provisions of those Acts as so amended (including the provisions as to expenses but excluding the provisions of sub-section (2) of section 10 of the Act of 1908 relating to the giving of notices by registrars of births and deaths) shall apply in all respects to such persons subject to the following modifications, that is to say:—

(a) for the first statutory condition contained in section 2 of the Act of 1908 there shall be substituted the condition that the person must be a person who has attained the age of thirty years, and satisfies the pension authorities that he is so blind that either he cannot perform any work for which eyesight is essential or that he cannot continue his ordinary occupation; and

(b) where the pension authorities are satisfied that a person could obtain or carry on remunerative employment or occupation suited to his physical condition and status in life, the remuneration which, in the opinion of the pension authorities, such person might reasonably be expected to derive from such employment or occupation, if he obtained or carried on the same, shall be taken into consideration in computing the means of such person; and

(c) for the statutory condition substituted by this Act for the second statutory condition contained in the said section 2 there shall be substituted the condition that the person shall satisfy the pension authorities that, since reaching the age of eighteen years, he has had his residence in Saorstát Eireann, if he is a citizen of Saorstát Eireann, for an aggregate period of six years and, if he is not such a citizen, for an aggregate period of sixteen years, and the provisions of this Act in relation to the interpretation of the said first-mentioned statutory condition shall apply to the interpretation of the condition imposed by this paragraph.