asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if any reciprocal arrangements have been made between the British Ministry of Health and his Department that will guarantee payments of maternity benefits in Éire to wives of Irishmen temporarily employed in Great Britain and insured for national health purposes in Great Britain.
Ceisteanna.—Questions. Oral Answers. - Maternity Benefits.
Mr. Corish
asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he is aware that the Ministry of Health in Great Britain has ruled that maternity benefit is not payable to Irish citizens, who are working in that country, in respect of the confinement of their wives, if the latter are permanently resident in Éire; and, if so, if he will have representations made to the Ministry of Health in Great Britain with a view to making reciprocal arrangements to remove this hardship.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 27 and 28 together.
Agreement has been reached with the British National Health Insurance authorities that payment of maternity benefit in respect of persons from this country insured under British law will not be withheld on the ground that the wives of such persons are resident in this country, and the necessary amendment of the existing national health insurance reciprocal arrangements is in course of being made.
Would the Minister say whether the arrangement will be retrospective to cover previous years since the men went away?
That will be a matter for arrangement between the British authorities and ourselves. It will be retrospective for some period, but how far back it will go I am not in a position to say.