asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether he will state (a) the value of all the benefits paid by his Department during the last 12 months to persons resident in (i) rural areas, and (ii) urban areas; and (b) the amounts paid in national health allowances to (i) agricultural workers, and (ii) other workers.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
The records kept in the Department of Social Welfare do not permit of an accurate ascertainment of the value of all the benefits paid to persons resident in (i) rural and (ii) urban areas. In the case of some benefits certain information is available which enables an approximate division of the total amount paid to be made. In the case of other benefits it has been necessary to assume that the amounts paid in rural and urban areas are in proportion to the number of insured persons in each area.
With these reservations, the following table which, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to have circulated in the Official Report, shows the estimated amounts paid in the year ending 31st March, 1949, in respect of the various benefits:—
|
Rural |
Urban |
Total |
|
|
£ |
£ |
£ |
|
|
National Health Insurance |
594,913 |
950,042 |
1,544,955 |
|
Widows' and Orphans' Pensions |
708,865 |
676,731 |
1,385,596 |
|
Unemployment Insurance |
488,424 |
532,934 |
1,021,358 |
|
Unemployment Assistance |
688,154 |
810,743 |
1,498,897 |
|
Old Age Pensions |
4,238,100 |
1,188,683 |
5,426,783 |
|
Children's Allowances |
1,369,466 |
802,876 |
2,172,342 |
|
Miscellaneous Social Welfare Services |
83,907 |
174,433 |
258,340 |
|
8,171,829 |
5,136,442 |
13,308,271 |
The amounts paid in national health insurance benefits in the year ending 31st March, 1949, to (i) agricultural workers, and (ii) all other workers, urban and rural, were as follows:—
|
(i) agricultural workers |
£236,162 |
|
(ii) all other workers (urban and rural) |
£1,308,793 |