asked the Minister for Social Welfare if the occupational injury benefit due to a person (details supplied) in County Galway will be paid immediately; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

The person concerned claimed injury benefit in respect of an accident at work on 6 April 1981.

Payment of disability benefit was made on an interim basis from 10 April 1981, fourth day of incapacity, pending inquiries as to the nature and origin of the incapacity. On completion of those inquiries payment of injury benefit was allowed from the commencement of the claim. As however, payment of injury benefit is limited to 26 weeks, payment ceased on 3 October 1981, but payment of disability benefit at the maximum appropriate rate has been made from that date. All injury benefit, disability benefit and pay-related benefit due to 7 November 1981 has issued.

It is exceptional for me to ask a question like this, but I am putting a query about cases of occupational injury. Is there not another way to investigate claims so that there could be speedy determination? I would add that I would not dare to do what Deputy Donnellan is doing today. He is responsible for the remaining questions on the first page of the Order Paper. I write to the Department to query such matters rather than waste the time of the House.

Benefit was claimed on 7 April 1981 following an accident on 6 April. Disability benefit on an interim basis was paid on 10 April at the rate of £54.25 and from 4 May at £69.65. He was also paid PRB from 16 April which meant he had continuing payments. I do not have the date of the completion of the inquiries——

The Minister understood the point I made.

2.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare why a deserted wife's allowance has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.

The person concerned was refused a deserted wife's allowance on the grounds that she could not be regarded as a deserted wife under the regulations governing this scheme. The deciding officer held that her husband did not of his own volition leave her. She appealed against this decision and, following an oral hearing at which she gave evidence, the appeals officer upheld the deciding officer's decision. He added that he did not consider that the appellant had, as required by the regulations, made reasonable efforts within the means available to her to secure maintenance from her husband.

Is Deputy Donnellan not on speaking terms with the Minister?

3.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Galway will be paid a dependent relatives' allowance.

I assume that the Deputy's question refers to a claim for a prescribed relative allowance made in June 1981. The position is that this allowance is payable only to relatives whose relationship to the pensioner for whom care and attention is being provided is prescribed by regulation. The person referred to in the Deputy's question does not come within the category of relative prescribed in the regulation and I regret, therefore, that an allowance is not payable in respect of her.

4.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare why a free telephone rental allowance has not been granted to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.

This allowance is granted to pensioners who are either living alone or with other persons who are permanently incapacitated. The applicant in this case is living with his wife and he has been requested on a number of occasions to furnish a comprehensive medical certificate in respect of his wife which should show the degree of her incapacity and immobility. Despite the repeated requests such a certificate so far has not been received. When the certificate is received the application will be considered and the person in question will be notified of the outcome.

5.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Galway is entitled to a free electricity allowance.

As the person referred to in the question has not yet reached old age pension age of 66 years, she does not qualify for a free electricity allowance.

6.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in paying arrears of disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 3 August 1981 and has been paid at the maximum appropriate rate from 6 August 1981, fourth day of incapacity. In addition, pay-related benefit issued from 17 August, 13th day of incapacity. Payment of all disability benefit and pay-related benefit due has been made to 3 November 1981, the date of the latest medical certificate received.

It is provided in the Social Welfare Acts that in the case of a person in receipt of disability benefit the combined total of disability benefit and pay-related benefit may not exceed that person's reckonable earnings in the income tax year on which his entitlement to benefit is based. As the total weekly amount of disability benefit and pay-related benefit at present payable to the person concerned is the same as his reckonable weekly earnings in the 1979-1980 tax year, he is precluded from receiving any increase in the rate of benefit payable on his current claim. In the circumstances there are no arrears of benefit due to him.

Would the Minister tell us when payment was made?

I do not seem to have the date. However, payments are up to date.

Was there considerable delay in this case and was that due to renewed industrial relations problems during the summer period? Have these now been resolved?

From the information I have, there is no delay at all.

7.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in paying disability benefit to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.

The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 29 August 1981 and was paid from 2 September, fourth day of incapacity, at the maximum appropriate rate. All disability benefit and pay-related benefit due to 17 October 1981 has issued. She claimed maternity allowance from 19 October and payment is being issued to her regularly each week. The delay in payment of disability benefit was due to the fact that the notification of incapacity was not received in my Department until the end of September. In addition, the RSI number quoted on some of the certificates submitted subsequently was incorrect and it was necessary to make inquiries to establish the correct number before payments could be made on these certificates.

8.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a non-contributory old age pension is not being paid at the full rate to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.

The person concerned is not in receipt of a non-contributory old age pension at the maximum rate as his means only entitle him to a pension at the reduced weekly rate of £8.35 plus £2.15 living alone allowance. If there has been a change in his circumstances it is open to him to apply for an increase in his pension.

9.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an old age pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Leitrim.

The person concerned has been in receipt of a non-contributory old age pension since 1978. Pension at the reduced weekly rate of £15.55, plus £2.15 living alone allowance, is currently in payment to him. His means, consisting of a British retirement pension and a holding, entitle him to a pension at this rate.

10.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a woman (details supplied) in Galway will receive her maternity allowance.

The person concerned claimed maternity benefit in respect of her confinement on 17 December 1980. As, according to the records of my Department, she had less than the required minimum of 26 contributions paid since her entry into insurance, she was informed she was not entitled to payment. Following inquiries it has been established that she had additional insurable employment which had the effect of qualifying her for benefit. A cheque paying all maternity benefit due for the period 10 November 1980 to 31 January 1981 has been issued to her.

11.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare why a person who has been sending in certificates regularly since 16 March 1981 has not yet received occupational injuries benefit.

The person concerned claimed occupational injury benefit in respect of an accident at work on 16 March 1981. There is no record however of the receipt of medical evidence of incapacity in my Department until October. Before a decision could be given on his entitlement to payment it was necessary to make inquiries as to the nature and origin of the incapacity. On completion of the inquiries it was accepted that the incapacity was due to an accident at work and the claim was allowed. Payment of injury benefit has been made for the full statutory period of 26 weeks from the date of the accident on 16 March to 12 September 1981. As he is over 66 years of age, he is not entitled to disability benefit after the expiration of that period.

12.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare why a person (details supplied) in County Galway has not been paid occupational injury benefit on a regular basis; and why her Department did not reply to correspondence from the individual in question.

The person concerned has been in receipt of disablement benefit under the occupational injuries scheme since 4 May 1973. She is at present being paid a disablement pension at the rate appropriate to a degree of disablement of 20 per cent. The pension is paid by cheques which are issued at four weekly intervals in advance. An examination of the payment record shows that all payments have issued regularly on the due dates. The latest cheque issued on 5 November 1981 and represented payment due in respect of the period 6 November 1981 to 3 December 1981. No correspondence has been received from the person concerned in connection with the claim since 1976. However I have arranged that an inspector of my Department will visit her at an early date with a view to ascertaining what payments have not been received by her on the due dates and to establish the reason for the irregularity, if any, in the receipt of the payments.

13.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will make arrangements to pay unemployment benefit which is due for the period January to April 1981 to a person (details supplied) in Kilkenny.

It is presumed that the Deputy's Question refers to the entitlement of the person concerned to pay-related benefit as all flat rate unemployment benefit claimed by him during the period 5 January 1981 to 24 March 1981 has been paid.

Details of earnings during the relevant income tax year April 1979 to April 1980 are required to enable his entitlement to pay-related benefit to be determined. As my Department had no record of such earnings the person concerned was requested on two occasions to furnish the required details but he has not replied to date.

It is still open to him to forward the necessary particulars and if he does so his title to pay-related benefit will be processed without delay.

14.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny.

According to the records of my Department only one medical certificate, dated 19 October 1981, has been received from the person concerned. Her claim has however been allowed from 13 October 1981 and all benefit due to 9 November 1981 has issued. She has been requested to furnish a medical certificate indicating the full duration of her incapacity on receipt of which any further payment of benefit due to her will issue.

Her entitlement to pay-related benefit is being investigated and any benefit due will issue as soon as possible.

15.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a children's allowance book will be replaced for a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny.

According to the Department's records the person in question is in receipt of children's allowances of £60.00 per month, which is the rate payable in respect of her seven qualified children.

It has been confirmed that the claimant cashed her October allowance order at the post office on 6 October 1981.

16.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a deserted wife's allowance will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny as the application was made in May 1981.

The person concerned has been awarded deserted wife's benefit at the maximum appropriate rate for a woman with seven qualified children with effect from 21 May 1981. An allowance order book payable from 1 October 1981 was issued to the designated post office on 4 November 1981 for collection by her and she has been notified accordingly.

The arrears of benefit due will be paid when adjustment has been made for the amount of supplementary welfare allowance which was paid to her in the interim by the South Eastern Health Board.

17.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when disability benefit for last month will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny who received his benefit on submission of monthly certificates.

The person concerned attained age 65 years on 10 January 1981 and claimed retirement pension on 30 July 1981.

As he was in receipt of disability benefit and pay-related benefit at a combined rate higher than the appropriate rate of retirement pension to which he would otherwise have been entitled up to 7 April 1981 the award of retirement pension was only made with effect from the following Thursday, 9 April 1981.

He continued to receive flat-rate disability benefit up to 17 October 1981. A pension book with orders payable from 5 November 1981 has been issued to the designated post office for collection by him and he has been notified accordingly.

The arrears of retirement pension from 9 April to 4 November 1981, less the amount of flat-rate disability benefit paid during that period, has been issued direct to him by payable order.

18.

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

The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 12 August to 26 September 1981, after which date he was certified fit to resume work. All disability benefit and pay-related benefit due in respect of that period issued promptly on receipt of the medical evidence of incapacity.

He has, however, informed my Department recently of the non-receipt of the final cheque which issued on 5 October. A replacement cheque will issue to him on return of form of idemnity which was sent to him on 11 November for completion.

19.

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

The reason for the delay in the payment of pay-related benefit to the person concerned is that inquiries to establish his full reckonable earnings during the relevant income tax year, April 1979 to April 1980 have not yet been completed.

However on the basis of information which he furnished at his local office showing part of his earnings during that period, pay-related benefit at the weekly rate of £19.38 has been allowed pending the completion of inquiries.

The person concerned is a postal recipient and an order paying arrears of pay-related benefit is being issued to him this week for encashment at his local post office.