asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether, in view of the abuses which exist in relation to social welfare benefits, including unemployment assistance, resulting in deserving applicants being deprived of higher benefits, he will have an inquiry carried out to relieve public anxiety in the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Abuses of Social Welfare Benefits.
Alleged abuses in relation to the payment of social welfare benefits, including unemployment assistance, have already been the subject of special inquiry in my Department, and steps have been taken to provide for tighter control of these payments and to check such abuses as may exist in relation thereto. Further measures which will ensure closer administrative control are under consideration.
Amendment of existing legislation in certain respects would be necessary to provide for more effective control of certain abuses in relation to both insurance and assistance schemes. Proposals towards this end are under consideration.
Is the Minister in a position to state the outcome of the inquiry into the alleged abuses?
There have been improvements in administration, inspection and supervision.
The Parliamentary Secretary said there had been widespread abuse in unemployment assistance.
In the sense of widespread, it goes from Donegal to Cork.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary not be prepared to say this, that it is not true that all those in receipt of unemployment assistance are abusing it?
Nobody ever suggested that.
I do not say even the Parliamentary Secretary did, but there are inferences from some speeches by other people who would have the public believe there were widespread abuses of unemployment assistance.
Will the Minister inform the House as to the number of special investigators now being employed on that work?
That is an entirely separate matter.
The same number as heretofore. The departmental committee was set up under the previous Government in 1956. They are continuing their investigation.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary say what office is held by this special investigator who operated in the Berehaven peninsula for the past number of months? I understand he is attached to the Minister's Department in Dublin.
He is an officer of the Department.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary not count it much more advantageous to the people of the Berehaven peninsula if he got the Minister for Industry and Commerce to send along some officer to provide employment, instead of a person going around on this job?
The Deputy is very sore about it now.
We will hear more about it to-morrow.