asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she is aware that a person (details supplied) in County Dublin has received only four or five payments of disability benefit since July 1981; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

The person concerned has not claimed disability benefit and the payments referred to by the Deputy may relate to supplementary welfare allowance.

However, during the period July 1981 to October 1981 he called to a number of my Department's local offices to claim unemployment assistance but on each occasion when called on by a social welfare officer he had changed his address and could not be located.

He recently applied again for unemployment assistance at the employment exchange, Werburgh Street, Dublin and his case has been referred to a social welfare officer for immediate investigation. When the investigations have been completed I will write to the Deputy to let him know the position.

For the information of the House, and particularly for the benefit of the person involved in this question——

Could we have a question?

Is the Minister aware that on behalf of the individual in question I am not satisfied with the response of the Department to the queries I addressed to them on behalf of this individual? Is the Minister aware that the Department she looks after are particularly slow to reply to queries made on behalf of this individual, who seems to have gone astray?

I commend the Deputy for his interest on behalf of this individual. The claimant made application at Tulla at the end of July and between 30 July and 21 August he repeated the claims at Limerick, Navan Road, Dublin, and the Werburgh Street exchange. The officers of the Department were unable to locate him.

In view of the detailed reply given by the Minister, am I to take it that in future if Deputies receive from the Department what they regard as unsatisfactory replies it will be in order for them to table questions here in the House for detailed replies——

It is not up to me to decide whether certain types of questions will be accepted. That is for the House to decide.

Did the Minister hear her backbencher state that he had received several unsatisfactory replies? Is it open to us now to put down the questions for oral answer in the House—

It does not arise on the question.

21.