asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 13 January 1981 and has been paid from 16 January, fourth day of incapacity, to 23 February, date of the latest medical evidence received. He has also been paid pay-related benefit from 27 January, 13th day of incapacity. The delay in payment was due to the fact that he quoted his insurance number, instead of his RSI number on second and third certificates, dated 19 and 26 January.

Will the Minister say the exact delay in this case and will he say why there was no provision for the transition from insurance numbers to RSI numbers? Will the Minister also say why the Department did not make a provision to cater for the difficulties which the Department should have foreseen, a difficulty which will cause hardship to many people?

The Department made enormous efforts to deal with this problem and are surmounting it. This was discussed here before Christmas and I outlined the steps which the Department took to try to avoid this situation arising. In the case which the Deputy raises the failure to quote the RSI number is the problem. In relation to that the Department have conducted a campaign on television and elsewhere to highlight the need to quote the two numbers at this time. In addition, the Department are working very extensive overtime to solve this problem and to have the disability benefit system computerised. It is a major change and I would ask Deputies to bear with us while we get the thing back to normal. The other problem is that it has been possible gradually to increase the cross-indexation. That means that an insurance number is cross-referenced with an RSI number. When the system is completed we will be able to do that 100 per cent. It can be done up to 75 per cent and the problem would be solved if the RSI numbers were quoted in the first instance.

Surely the Minister would agree that if it is now possible to improve the cross-indexation of the old and the new numbers something should have been done for the changeover earlier in the year so that a person who quoted his insurance number would not have had a problem.

The problem is the physical size of handling 1.25 million files. I would defy any organisation in the country——

The problem is no money, bankruptcy.

It is not. In fact, the largest increases ever given in social welfare were given this year.

Not against inflation.

Even including inflation. The Deputies are trying to use a situation to get the most political coverage they can.

Will the Minister agree that it is obvious that adequate provision was not made for the transition to RSI numbers? I say that because I have some experience of computers. Will the Minister also agree that even the use of the initials RSI will lead to confusion because of the similarity with the initials PRSI? I had that experience this morning in the Minister's office. Will the Minister acknowledge that every day at the Department of Social Welfare hundreds of hungry people are queuing for their payments? Will the Minister agree to stop prancing around the country singing songs and to do the job he is paid to do?

Before I became a TD I sang songs for both elderly and handicapped people as part of my private life. It has nothing to do with my political life and if it irks the Deputy I am sorry.

In relation to the problem ——

Will Deputies please allow the Minister to continue?

In relation to the problem here, Deputy Mitchell has declared that he has some knowledge of computers but he will not find any group here who will handle 1.25 million files in the way in which the Department do. Every time there is a problem in Social Welfare the Deputies on the other side of the House use the occasion to berate the Government of the day and the Department of Social Welfare. My understanding of the situation is that we are over the peak of the problem. The records section is now completed. The records have been transferred within the time we indicated initially. I hope that within a short period the system will be restored to normal.

Question No. 2.

A Cheann Comhairle——

I am sorry, Deputy.

I wish to get in.

I am sorry, Deputy, I have allowed quite a number of questions.

2.