asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware that the current practice of stopping all social welfare payments to persons under investigation by his Department until the investigation is completed constitutes a grave hardship in many cases; and whether he will change this system.

I can assure the Deputy that it is not the normal practice in my Department to suspend social welfare payments while continuing entitlement is being investigated.

The usual practice is to allow payment to continue while investigations are being carried out and it is only when the investigations have been completed that the question of suspending payment would be considered. Suspension of payment before investigations are completed is exceptional, and it would arise only where there is conclusive evidence to indicate that a claimant no longer satisfies the conditions for the receipt of the benefit or assistance being paid to him.

I do not wish to take issue with the Minister, but from my experience payments of benefits and assistance have been terminated while investigations are taking place. As any Deputy can confirm we were all approached by people looking for supplementary welfare allowances to tide them over the period while investigations were taking place because their payments had been suspended. If the result of the investigation is that everything is all right they are paid a lump sum.

The Deputy is making a statement.

I would assure the Deputy that that should not happen, and if he knows of any case where it has happened he should draw it to my attention. The policy is that unless there is absolutely clear-cut evidence that the benefit or allowance is to be discounted, payments should continue while an investigation is taking place.

The Minister may take it that it is normal practice to have the payments suspended.

That should not happen, and if the Deputy gives me examples where it is happening I will have them investigated.

Will the Minister accept that two different investigating officers will have different opinions as to what is clear-cut evidence?

Only in exceptional circumstances should the payment be suspended. That is the policy.