asked the Minister for Social Welfare her views on the practice of suspending social welfare payments to claimants when they come under investigation as to their circumstances before such investigations are concluded; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

Apart from the automatic suspension of payment to persons receiving disability benefit who fail without good cause to attend when summoned for examination by a medical referee of the Department, it is not the general policy of the Department to suspend payments to a claimant while his circumstances are still under investigation. Investigations are carried out by social welfare officers who do not themselves have the power to suspend payments. A report of an investigation is submitted to a deciding officer who has the statutory power to suspend, reduce or disallow payment. The deciding officer will base his decision on the facts as put forward in the social welfare officer's report.

The suspension of disability benefit to persons who fail to attend for medical examination is for up to nine weeks and is provided for in statutory regulations. If the Deputy has a particular case in mind and will give me the details I will have the case examined and I will communicate with him as quickly as possible.

The question arises not from any one specific case but from a number of instances over a period where people have their allowances, particularly deserted wife's allowance and unmarried mother's allowance, stopped pending investigation. The people concerned are not informed there is any investigation into their case until they are told the payment has been stopped. Does the Minister not think it would be more appropriate for such people to be involved in the investigation process before benefit or assistance is stopped?

I will have that matter looked into. The original question implied that there is full scale suspension of payment before investigations are completed. That is not the case. As I said, the deciding officers have power to suspend payments on receipt of evidence from social welfare officers. The deciding officer has to base his decision on facts. There is an appeals system in operation. It is hard to see that the present system could be fairer. If there are particular instances the Deputy has in mind I would be very interested to have a look at them.

In the normal course a married woman who applies for unemployment benefit, who has sufficient contributions and who has no family responsibilities is refused unemployment benefit on the basis that she is not available for work. In those circumstances she is not getting the benefit even though the investigation into her circumstances has not begun. It is just an opinion of a person. There are different aspects to this problem. We are simply asking that the Minister have regard to the question of maintaining payments to people while inquiries are proceeding. If at the end of investigations or inquiries a decision to stop payment is made, then payment must be stopped.

I will get the Department to look into that matter.

The Minister referred to those receiving disability benefit. Will she accept that the vast majority of those in receipt of disability benefit who fail to turn up before the medical referee do so because the condition of their health has deteriorated? In many instances they are hospitalised. Has she any statistics of the numbers who have their payments recommenced after they have been hospitalised or after their illness has prevented them from attending the medical referee?

I do not have that figure at the moment. I will be replying to questions on disability benefit later and I might have more information then.