asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to have disability benefit and pay-related benefit paid up-to-date to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.

A cheque in payment of disability benefit and pay-related benefit from 24 March 1979 to 26 April 1979 in respect of the person concerned has been forwarded to the community welfare officer, Newmarket, from whom it may be collected.

286.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit or occupational benefit payments will be resumed to a person (details supplied) who received his last payment on 30 March, 1979.

Payment of occupational injury benefit to the person concerned has now been made to 27 April 1979. The relevant cheques may be collected at the employment exchange, Mullingar.

287.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare why unemployment assistance has not yet been paid to a person (details supplied) who applied on 15 February 1979.

Due to difficulties in communicating with the local offices of my Department it has not been possible in the time available to obtain details of the claim to unemployment assistance of the person concerned. I will inform the Deputy of the position immediately the information becomes available.

288.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to have an application for an old age pension (details supplied) processed without delay.

The person concerned has been in receipt of a non-contributory old age pension at the rate of £8 a week from 1 September 1978. An application for an increase of pension received on 10 January 1979 has been investigated by the Social welfare officer and referred to the local pension committee for decision. The pension committee's decision has not yet been received.

289.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the real increase in (a) contributory pensions and (b) non-contributory pensions over the last nine years.

Relating the increase in rates to increases in the consumer price index indicates that the real increase in social welfare pensions in the nine-year period, April 1970 to April 1979, was of the order of 50 per cent on the contributory schemes and 40 per cent on the non-contributory schemes.