asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of pay-related benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Waterford.

The person concerned is not entitled to pay-related benefit because entitlement to this benefit is subject to the condition that the sum of weekly unemployment benefit and pay-related benefit may not exceed 85 per cent of a claimant's average net weekly earnings. As the person concerned is receiving unemployment benefit at the weekly rate of £64.25 and as this sum exceeds 85 per cent of his earnings, namely £62.28, pay-related benefit is not payable in his case.

17.