asked the Minister for Social Welfare the average number of married women in receipt of disability benefit in 1977; the total of such payments as a percentage of total payments on disability benefits, and as a percentage of (a) total Social Welfare annual expenditure, and (b) total current budget expenditure.

: The average number of married women in receipt of disability benefit during the year 1977 was 22,000.

In 1977 the estimated total disability benefit paid to married women was 19 per cent of total disability payments; 2.3 per cent of total social welfare annual expenditure, and 0.6 per cent of total budget expenditure of the Exchequer.

: In view of the relativity of data as now supplied by the Minister, does the Minister share the quite extraordinary emphasis within the Green Paper on this particular aspect of disability benefit in the context of social welfare expenditure?

: The Green Paper merely sets out the factual situation in regard to disability benefit generally. It does not draw any conclusions.

: In view of the highlighting of the disability benefit aspect at this stage, does the Minister share the general option outlined in the Green Paper, namely the complete tightening up of eligibility in respect of disability benefit.

: I do not think any such option is set out in the Green Paper.

: Surely the Minister is aware that the Green Paper very strongly implies that there is need for a major saving and that there is scope for a major saving in expenditure on disability benefit?

: I do not think it does. I think the Green Paper confines itself to setting out the position factually in regard to disability benefits and other situations and indicates, and I think the House generally would agree with this, that if there is in this area anybody drawing a benefit to which he is not entitled, in other words if there is an abuse of these very valuable welfare services, these abuses will have to be eliminated. I think the Deputy will agree with that because the more we can eliminate abuse and the more we can stop people who are not entitled to them drawing benefits the more we will have available for those who genuinely are entitled to them.

29.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of beneficiaries of disability benefit in each year from 1971 to 1977; the number of such persons as a percentage of the total insured population; and the average amount paid to each beneficiary for each year.

: As the reply is in the form of a tabular statement I propose with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, to circulate it with the Official Report.

Following is the statement:

* A nine month period.

30.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of families in receipt of children's allowances; and the current average annual amount paid to each such family.

: There are about 431,000 families in receipt of children's allowances and the current annual average amount paid to each such family is about £119.00.

31.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of smallholders who would become ineligible for unemployment assistance in the event of the multiplier being increased to 110 per £1 RV.

: While it is not possible to put an exact figure on the number of smallholders who would become ineligible for unemployment assistance in the event of the multiplier being increased to £110 per £1 rateable valuation it is estimated that the figure would be in or about 7,500. This figure would, of course, be reduced to the extent that applicants ineligible on the notional basis might be eligible on the basis of factual assessment.

: The Minister will accept, I am sure, that that particular option is clearly contained in the Green Paper and may I ask if he views with equanimity the prospect of 7,500 smallholders being deleted from unemployment benefit?

: I do not view anything in the social welfare area, either positive or negative, with equanimity, but I should point out that this process of taking people with small farms off benefits which we in Fianna Fáil introduced, the notional system, was started by the Coalition Government. All the Green Paper does is give the national average for multiplier purposes at £110. It does not in any way state that that is going to be adopted. It just sets out what multiplier the national average would give us. I would like to point out that even if we were to increase the multiplier in the notional system the factual assessment basis still remains, and when the Coalition Government increased the multiplier before, a number of people came back in to benefit because they opted for factual assessment.

: I would accept what the Minister says but nevertheless would the Minister not agree that the net effect of the option outlined in the Green Paper is that 7,500 smallholders on average nationally would be removed from the register for unemployment assistance?

: I would be fairly confident that, even if we were to adopt that multiplier—which I am not saying is going to be adopted; and I would not favour adopting it—I would not think that it would be legitimate to apply a national average to the 12 western counties because completely different circumstances prevail but even if we were to adopt the national multiplier in western country circumstances, there would be a very large number of that 7,500 people, I am convinced, who would come back in on benefit on a factual assessment basis.

: But the Minister would accept that there is no such criterion as western development counties in the option laid out in the Green Paper?

: The notional assessment system only applies in the 12 western counties.

: I appreciate that the Minister may be distancing himself from the implication in the Green Paper relative to the 7,500 people he mentioned but there is no reference whatever——

: The notional assessment system applies in the 12 western counties.

: Deputy O'Donoghue never heard of them.

: Question No. 32.

: Do not provoke him about the Minister, Deputy O'Donoghue.

: The Minister for Economic Planning and Development has demonstrated here time and again at Question Time and other times that he is quite capable of defending himself.

: He does not know the Minister for Social Welfare as we do.