asked the Minister for Social Welfare the circumstances under which payments to a person (name supplied) in County Cork in respect of disability benefit for 11th to 24th December 1968 were not posted to him until 27th December 1968 with the result that this man, his wife and four children suffered considerable hardship.

The person named by the Deputy has been in receipt of disability benefit since May, 1964, and medical certificates continued to be received and payment cheques issued regularly up to and including 13th December, 1968. A further medical certificate was due on 19th December, 1968 and there is no doubt but that this was handed in in due time at the local office. After that, and despite the special steps which are taken each year to guard against the possibility of interruption or delay in payment of benefit over the Christmas period, this particular certificate went astray or was mistreated in some way which it has not been possible to determine. The result was that no further payment was made until 27th December when the two weeks benefit due were paid. I very much regret this unfortunate occurrence and particularly the inconvenience and embarrassment caused to the person concerned.

Does not the Minister's Department usually guarantee against this sort of thing happening in the case of a person who has been receiving disability benefit over a long period? How did this happen?

It is very hard to avoid this during the Christmas rush period although a special effort is made to ensure that they get through regularly.

It is not like the Department to do this. It is too bad.

It was the only complaint relating to the Christmas rush.

I can give the Minister two more if he wants them.

They do not relate to the Christmas period.