asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will state the number of persons in receipt of unemployment assistance who have had their means reinvestigated since 1st June, 1954; and if he will indicate the number (a) whose weekly payments have been reduced and (b) from whom all assistance has been withdrawn.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Assistance.
The number of persons whose means have been reinvestigated since 1st June is 2,705. Of these the number (a) whose weekly payments have been reduced because of an increase in means is 266; (b) from whom all unemployment assistance has been withdrawn because of an increase in means is 57.
Would the Minister say whether or not either his Department or he himself issued instructions to the social welfare officers in different areas to go out after these people?
No.
If the answer is in the negative, would the Minister then say on whose instructions the social welfare officers acted when they went out recently after these people?
I have not given any instructions. It is the ordinary duty of an investigation officer to check means periodically. Where a person has been in receipt of unemployment assistance for a period of, say, two or three years without an investigation, the investigation officer is bound then to investigate the means to see whether there has been an increase or a decrease. The figures which I have given to the Deputy are not unusual when you consider that last year there were four times the number of cases investigated.