asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will consider paying unemployment benefit assistance in the same manner as disability benefit; and, if not, if he will consider establishing local offices in the large housing estates.

I would remind the Deputy at the outset that the basic statutory conditions for unemployment benefit and unemployment assistance are fundamentally different from those for disability benefit and that the proper administration of the unemployment and disability schemes calls for radically different procedures.

Attendance at a local office or signing centre at specified intervals during working hours to prove their unemployment constitutes, in the case of persons drawing unemployment benefit or unemployment assistance, a most important administrative check towards ensuring that these payments are made only to genuinely unemployed persons.

I am satisfied that the course suggested by the Deputy in the first part of his question, which would dispense with this essential requirement, would be inconsistent with the proper administration of these schemes and could only give rise to widespread abuse which it would be impossible to control.

I am also satisfied that existing local office facilities for proving unemployment and obtaining payment in the Dublin area are adequate for present needs and that they do not impose undue hardship on claimants.