asked the Minister for Social Welfare if it is his intention to introduce proposals for legislation to implement the social security scheme of his Lordship, Most Reverend Dr. Dignan.

As I stated in the House last week, considerable progress has already been made in the preparation of a new scheme of social insurance, and a White Paper on the subject is at present being drafted.

Arising out of the Minister's reply, can he state if there is any truth in the suggestion published in a morning newspaper to-day that the social security scheme has been shelved or is likely to be shelved?

There is no truth whatsoever in any such statement, and if it has been made, it must have been made by some person who knows it to be untrue.

Can the Minister explain the delay in producing the White Paper?

The cap fits!

I think the Deputy ought to rewrite his article.

That is not an answer to the question.

It satisfies Deputy Larkin. Did the Minister not promise that the White Paper would be produced before Christmas?

Can the Minister say why he has not introduced the scheme? When he was in opposition he suggested to the then Government on many occasions that the scheme was already there and that nothing remained to be done except to put it into operation.

You had better ask the "Dáil Reporter" about it.

In reply to the Deputy's question, let me say that there was no scheme in existence when I was appointed to the Department of Social Welfare and anybody who states the contrary is stating something which he knows to be untrue.

What about the Dr. Dignan scheme about which you told us so often when you were in opposition?

The less your Party says about Dr. Dignan's scheme the better.

It is extraordinary how silent the Labour Party are now.

The scheme is just not being produced—that is all.