asked the Minister for Social Welfare why disability benefit is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly.

An insured person who has less than 156 employment contributions is entitled to disability benefit for a maximum period of 52 weeks. When this period has been exhausted he can only become entitled to this benefit again if he resumes insurable employment and obtains a further 13 employment contributions or such lesser number as will bring his total to 156. The person referred to by the Deputy has only 122 employment contributions since he became insured under the Social Welfare Acts on 20th April, 1967, and he exhausted his title to disability benefit on 19th January, 1974, when he had received benefit for the maximum period of 52 weeks.

9.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the cause of the delay in paying disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in Waterford city who has not received benefit since 20th May, 1974.

The person referred to by the Deputy was paid injury benefit under the scheme of occupational injuries for 26 weeks to 24th May, 1974. The last payment in respect of injury benefit was made on 30th May, 1974 and the claimant then became eligible for disability benefit. I regret that there was at that stage some delay in transferring the claimant to disability benefit owing to the injury benefit claim papers being temporarily mislaid. All disability benefit due to 17th June, 1974, the date of the latest medical certificate received, has since been paid.

10.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare why unemployment benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Offaly.

The flat-rate benefit due has now been paid following completion of inquiries into the question of whether the person concerned had refused an offer of suitable employment. The amount of pay-related supplement payable is being established and payment will be made this week.