asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit was refused to a person (details supplied) in County Dublin: and if she will have the case fully investigated with a view to having benefit paid.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit for the period 10 March 1980 to 10 May 1980, after which date he was certified fit to resume work. When he first claimed benefit he was not entitled to payment as, according to the records of my Department, he was not qualified on his insurance record. It was necessary to make inquiries regarding his employment in the contribution year 1978, the year on which his entitlement to benefit was based. As a result of these inquiries it was established that he had sufficient weeks of insurable employment in that year to qualify him for payment on his claim. Arrears of contributions due were paid by the employers but owing to an oversight the section responsible for paying benefits was not notified. All benefit due from 13 March 1980, fourth day of incapacity, to 10 May 1980 has, however, now been issued.

Would the Minister care to consider the extreme bias displayed by Deputy Haughey in addressing pointed questions in relation to Deputy Deasy for asking questions similar to the question tabled by Deputy Walsh while by his silence, Deputy Haughey was prepared to suffer similar conduct on the part of Deputy Walsh?

It was a matter of 20 questions as distinct from one.

In other words, Deputy Deasy is working 20 times harder than Deputy Walsh.

Would the Minister bring to the attention of the Deputy all those questions from the Opposition that are down for written reply as distinct from oral reply?

Would Deputy Ryan care to be here for the vote on the budget?

Perhaps I am here more often than Deputy Haughey would wish me to be here.

Will the Deputy not forget to be here?

On the road to Damascus.

I wonder if he will be running away to catch an aeroplane.

I shall not be running away at all.

I am calling Question No. 26.

On a point of information, why is Deputy Walsh not being allowed to ask a supplementary?

The Deputy did not indicate that he wished to ask a supplementary.

On a point of order, would Deputy Ryan not need to work even more than 20 times harder having regard to the results in the General Election?

This is point of disorder.

If Deputy Haughey had not run away, Deputy Walsh would have been over here for another year.

We must confine ourselves to the questions on the Order Paper.

26.