Vol. 197 No. 2
asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether the Government have decided to introduce proposals for legislation to increase the present low maximum payment under the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1948; and, if so, when the legislation will be introduced.
84.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when examination of the Report of the Commission on Workmen's Compensation will be completed; and when comprehensive amending legislation will be introduced.
85.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare what progress has been made in the consideration of the proposals contained in the report of the Commission on Workmen's Compensation; at what date he expects to be able to announce a decision on these proposals; and whether, as an interim measure, he will raise the limit of £4 10s. 0d. per week on workmen's compensation.
With your permission a Cheann Comhairle I propose to answer Questions Nos. 83, 84 and 85 together. The report of the Commission on Workmen's Compensation is at present under examination in my own and in other Government Departments. As I have previously informed the House I hope this examination will be completed by the end of the year and the question of amending legislation will then be considered by the Government. Meanwhile it is not proposed to take steps for the introduction of interim legislation.
There are no Ministers sitting on the bench opposite. This is a very unusual arrangement. May I suggest that, whatever their internal arrangements may be, they should maintain a respectful facade in public?
In view of the fact that it may take anything up to another 12 months to frame suitable legislation, arising out of the examination of the report of the Commission, would the Minister not consider introducing a measure raising the weekly payment. especially as the present payment was last fixed seven years ago?
We now have the report of this commission which gives us material which may lead to a fundamental reorganisation of the workmen's compensation scheme. Since that is under active examination at the moment, I think it would be ridiculous to start on piecemeal legislation which would result in an upward revision of premiums now, when the ultimate decisions taken by the Government may alter the scheme in a fundamental way.
I would not suggest that the Minister should introduce piecemeal legislation. Is he aware that the proposals suggested in this Question would merely mean a two- or three-line Bill to the effect that the weekly payment for workmen's compensation would be increased by such and such an amount? Does the Minister also appreciate—I know he does, but I have to put it in the form of a question—that the examination of the report of the Commission entails its examination by various Departments of State, when all those views are combined? Is the Minister not aware that the framing of legislation after that could take some considerable time? It is quite unfair to leave the amount of workmen's compensation as it is at the present time.
I realise that the framing of whatever legislation is decided upon will take a considerable time. Now that we have the report, I think the best way to handle it is to deal with the matter in a comprehensive way. There are many other recommendations that could be made with regard to the improvement of workmen's compensation legislation. A case could be made here for dealing with every single one of them on an individual basis.
Is the Minister aware that when the Minister for Finance proposes that old age pensioners shall get an increase of x shillings per week, the Minister for Social Welfare and the Government do not baulk at the introduction of legislation? This does not necessarily entail piece-meal legislation in respect of the whole Social Welfare Act.
