asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to include the PRSI number on any correspondence relating to an insured person which is being issued by his Department.

It has always been the practice in my Department to quote the appropriate reference number in correspondence with members of the public. This ensures that replies, if any, to such correspondence can be readily associated with the relevant papers. Since January last it has been the practice to quote both the appropriate insurance number and the RSI number where these are available.

Is the Minister aware that the statement he has made is not correct, that the RSI number is not quoted? Further, is he aware that much of the trouble has been caused because many thousands of insured persons are unaware of their RSI number? Does he know that the doctors' certificates issued to insured persons do not contain a space for the RSI number but contain a space for the insurance number?

I accept that there are problems relating to this new scheme but we hope that those problems will be resolved in the near future. The public are becoming more aware of the requirement to quote the numbers.

I accept that in 12 months' time everybody will know. Is the Minister aware that people who have been insured for up to 40 years have failed to get benefit for periods of up to two months because they did not quote an RSI number of which they were unaware? Does he accept that there is grave hardship, — even hunger, as Deputy Bermingham pointed out — as a result of the stupid action of changing at Christmas from the insurance number to the RSI number? Why was it necessary to take this action in this way?

This was not done overnight. An advertising campaign was carried out by the Department of Social Welfare informing people of the need to submit the numbers. They must comply with the regulations. I accept that it is causing delays and problems for some people——

It is causing hunger.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Did I hear the Minister say that when he is writing to people he refers to the insurance number as well as the RSI number? If he said that, will he not accept that that is inviting people to pick out one of the numbers and quote it in their correspondence?

The Minister does not do that. I got a letter from his Department and I know.

(Cavan-Monaghan): Will the Minister answer my question, please?

I have answered the question. I have said the numbers are quoted in any correspondence from the Department.

Will the Minister not accept that the largest numbers of claims in respect of unemployment, sickness and general social welfare benefits are made in the January-February period? Will he not agree that changing over to computerisation in the middle of winter is absolutely stupid, that it should be done in summer when the numbers of claims are much less?

Although I accept it may have created problems for many people, we had to start on 1 January because that is the start of the insurance year.

By all means keep the books clear but do not give a damn about people.

Many Deputies consider that failure to quote the RSI number has caused a lot of trouble. Will the Minister explain why claims where the RSI number was correctly quoted have not been paid? Is the whole thing in chaos?

They have been paid.

Questions Nos. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19 are for written reply.