asked the Minister for Social Welfare the total number of people who received social welfare payments in 1984; if he will give a breakdown of this figure and the respective costings; and the variations, if any, in numbers and costs that can be anticipated in 1985.

My Department keep statistics of numbers of people in receipt of social welfare payments on a weekly basis. Cumulative statistics on the total number of recipients over the year as a whole are not maintained. I propose to circulate tables showing details of numbers of recipients at end of June and end of May 1985 and the costs of the schemes administered by my Department in both 1984 and 1985. These tables also indicate the change in both numbers of recipients and expenditure in these years.