asked the Minister for Social Welfare the extent to which the supplementary benefit budgets of health boards have had or may have to be increased over original estimates to meet the extra demands made on them by reason of delays in the payment of benefits by her Department and the arrangements that are made to recoup to health boards moneys advanced by them to insured persons in lieu of her Department's entitlements; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

The information sought by the Deputy in the first part of his question is not available. There are provisions in social welfare legislation for the recoupment to health boards, from any arrears of social welfare payments due to claimants, of interim payments of supplementary welfare allowance made to such claimants pending decisions on their social welfare claims. The arrangements for recoupment are that health boards apply for refund of amounts paid by them and these amounts are refunded to the health boards out of any arrears of benefit that may be due to a claimant from the Department of Social Welfare.

What would the Minister say if a health board have to take out an overdraft in order to meet payments of this kind? Is the interest the health board have to pay on such overdraft refunded by the Department and, if not, why?

There has been a problem in the last while due to the increase in take-up of the benefits and this is something that has to be welcomed in part. It is due to a change in the atmosphere associated with home assistance schemes in that people are less unwilling to take advantage of them and the result has been an undue demand on health boards. Meetings are about to take place between the Department of Health and representatives of the health boards to iron out some of the problems that have arisen due to this over-demand. I hope that between them they may be able to iron out some of the difficulties mentioned by the Deputy.

Will the Minister not agree that many of the problems of delays in payment of benefit can be attributed to the fact that application forms for various benefits are not available at local level to applicants? Will the Minister say if it is her intention to appoint local agents so that application forms will be readily available and sent immediately to the Department?

The general intention of this Government, as I believe it was the intention of the previous Government, is to try to decentralise as much as possible. If the Deputy will give me details of difficulties encountered with regard to application forms that will be looked at.

In the towns of north Cork, in Mallow, Fermoy, Mitchelstown, Buttevant and Doneraile, application forms are not available. I am asking the Minister if it is her intention to appoint agents and to have application forms made available?

There are no specific proposals regarding the appointment of agents but we shall certainly consider the general problem.

The Minister has stated that there are additional costs arising for the health boards. Will the Minister give an undertaking to recoup the extra costs to them at the end of the year?

The arrangements for recoupment are statutory and are standardised and will be implemented. The particular difficulties that emerge at the moment due to the demand on the services are being looked into by a meeting between the health boards and officials of the Department.

6.