asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is aware of the considerable expense which recipients of various social welfare benefits who reside in Dún Laoghaire Borough have to undertake in order to travel to Townsend Street, and if he would arrange to refund the cost of such travel to them.

Due to the postal dispute it is not possible to have social welfare benefit cheques delivered by post to the persons entitled to payment. The emergency centres set up throughout the country for the distribution of these cheques are located, as far as practicable, in places which are convenient to the majority of persons residing in the respective areas.

I regret that certain persons may have to travel some distance to receive their cheques but this is unavoidable in present circumstances. There is no provision, however, in the Social Welfare Acts or regulations for the payment of costs incurred by persons travelling to these centres to collect their benefit cheques.

144.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the estimated amounts of (a) children's allowances, (b) pension payments, (c) disability benefits now overdue to recipients arising from the postal dispute.

It is not possible to give any reliable estimates of the amounts involved.