asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will consider the decentralisation of disability payments in view of the growing volume of complaints against delays in receipt of such payments which are the cause of grave hardship in many cases throughout the provinces and particularly in Limerick city.

I am not satisfied that the arrangements for the payment of disability benefit under the Social Welfare Acts would be improved by decentralisation. Under the present arrangements, payments are made by cheque delivered by post to the beneficiaries' addresses. These claimants are ill and it would not be possible for the majority of them to attend at local offices for payment. With centralised administration, the most modern office equipment and up-to-date techniques can be utilised to the maximum advantage in the determination of claims and the preparation and issue of benefit cheques. I appreciate that delay in payment of disability benefit during illness can give rise to hardship and my aim is to eliminate avoidable delays. Any developments in equipment or techniques which would help to achieve that end will be examined.

Is the Minister aware of the hardship experienced by families throughout the country because of delays in receiving benefits? Those people have little redress other than to approach public representatives who in turn experience nothing but frustration when they go to the Department. Any Fianna Fáil Deputy will tell the Minister of the terrible hardship suffered by people, many of whom suffer hunger because of these delays. The Minister should put up offices in major centres such as Limerick which has a quarter of a million people in the region.

I am not an expert in this area but I am assured by people who have gone into it carefully that there is no guarantee decentralisation would lead to increased efficiency or eliminate the possibility of delay. Those who have examined the position, all experts in this field, are satisfied the centralised system is the better.

As far as I am concerned, decentralisation would bring about a big improvement in my area.

The Deputy cannot be sure of that—he cannot be sure that a decentralised system would not result in even more delays. If the Deputy would like to give me some cases which he has in mind in which hardship has been caused I will have them investigated.

People have been hungry because of delays.

The Deputy is new in the House and I have been allowing him the usual courtesy. However, I must inform him that at Question Time only questions are permitted; we do not permit statements.

If the Deputy will give me a few typical cases I will have them examined.

19.