asked the Minister for Social Welfare what measures he intends to take to eliminate the discrimination against women in the payment of unemployment assistance.

3.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare what measures he intends to take to eliminate the discrimination against married women presently receiving reduced rate of benefit.

4.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare what measures he intends to take to end the discrimination against married women restricted to a maximum duration of 156 days benefit when the general restriction is 390 days for persons under 65 years of age.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos 2, 3 and 4 together.

As announced in their manifesto issued prior to the recent general election, the Government are committed to working towards the elimination of discrimination against women in the field of social security. It is clear that the removal of discrimination must be achieved in a phased and orderly fashion due to the considerable expenditure and the degree of administrative planning which will be involved and also because of the significant changes which will have to be made in social welfare legislation.

As regards the areas of discrimination alluded to in the Deputy's questions, it is my intention to put appropriate proposals to the Government in due course in line with the commitment referred to.

What does the Minister consider to be the top priority in the three matters I have mentioned and when does he think the one he considers should be given top priority could be expected to be implemented?

I should not like to place these in order of priority but one of the ways in which one could place them in sequence would be in relation to their cost and, in the nature of things, those which would cost less than others would probably get first attention.

Would the Minister not agree that unemployment assistance for women should be the one meriting immediate attention and could he give now any indication of what the cost would be?

£6.5 million. As the Deputy will gather from that, they are very expensive but they will have to be faced up to.

Is the Minister aware in regard to Question No. 2 that a commitment was given prior to the election to the immediate implementation of that proposal and would he now say at what stage it is intended to implement that commitment?

I am not in a position to say exactly when but it will be as soon as possible.

Does this apply to the whole of the manifesto?

Could the Minister say, particularly in relation to Question No. 2, what progress has been made in his department in recent years to eliminate discrimination?

No positive steps were taken in recent years in regard to the implementation of decisions because the decisions had not been taken.