asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a member of a religious order (details supplied) in County Sligo who works wholetime for a health board is insurable; and, if not, why.

Normally members of a religious order are excepted from insurance under the Social Welfare Acts. There is provision, however, whereby a representative authority or body acting on behalf of a class of persons in religion may, in certain circumstances, apply to my Department to have such class of persons who are employed as Ministers of Religion admitted to insurance under the Acts. Otherwise members of religious orders are specifically excepted from insurance irrespective of the nature of their employment.