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

The person concerned is a postal claimant and an order paying his unemployment benefit issues to him each week for encashment at his local post office. There has been no delay in the payment of unemployment benefit in his case. I might mention that the claimant did complain about the rate of unemployment benefit being paid to him. The position was explained to him and he was told that he did not satisfy the statutory contribution condition for payment of unemployment benefit at the maximum rate.