asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will state generally in respect of social welfare systems in each of the Common Market countries (a) the method by which contributions are collected, (b) the type of principal benefits and (c) the principal differences between social welfare benefits in this country and the Common Market countries.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Social Welfare in Common Market Countries.
10.
I regret I am not in a position to answer the Deputy's question. Information in regard to the social security systems in operation in the Common Market countries may be obtained from the publications of the International Labour Office and of the International Social Security Association. It would, however, involve much research and take time to collate such information and in any event authoritative and up-to-date information would have to be sought by direct enquiry from the countries concerned.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary not agree that before Dáil Deputies are called upon to cast their votes, as to whether or not we should enter the Common Market, such information as is essential for them to have should be provided?
A number of publications are available to the Deputy and myself on this whole matter. They are issued by the International Labour Office and by the International Social Security Association.
Could the Parliamentary Secretary say whether or not his officials, who participated in the making of the social charter in the Council of Europe, have all this information at their finger tips?
As is our experience in this House social legislation is always live legislation and the information today may not be the information in a month's time.
Could the Taoiseach not exercise his influence over the Tánaiste, get him to fall in line with Government policy which we kicked out of him last week and get this put into the White Paper?
If it is important that we should have details of protection tariffs, and so on, in respect of industry, is it not equally important that we should have such information in respect of social welfare?
I am sorry but the position is this: To furnish this would require a great deal of collation not merely of existing payments but the conditions under which these are paid. It is quite impossible in the time at our disposal between now and the end of the session to get the information which the Deputy requires.
It is a wonder you had not got it months ago.
What we are asked for is a comparison.
You should have been doing this for months and months. You had to be kicked into producing the White Paper.
There is no point in the Deputy getting on like this.
It is a fact.
We keep well abreast of these things but we are asked to produce the comparative information overnight and we just cannot do it.
If he is abreast of it why can the Minister not keep everyone abreast of it? If the Minister knows it himself, can he not make available whatever information is there?
What is required here is not a recital of facts but a comparative table and we have got to collate this information. Whenever this becomes a live issue——
Does the Minister not think it is a live issue now?
At least, the Council of the European Economic Community have not decided it is a live issue yet.
Are we not entitled to have our view as to whether it is a live issue?
Of course you are. When the time is ripe for a decision, all the material the Dáil requires in relation to social legislation in Europe will be presented.
The Taoiseach told us he would present it to us last week.
May we interpret the Minister as saying that before Deputies will be called on to decide such a live issue, all possible information will be made available to them?
Certainly.