asked the Taoiseach if, in order to refute the allegation of the Six Counties Prime Minister concerning future conditions in the Six Counties if partition ended, he will guarantee that the welfare state benefits—no means test for health services, social welfare benefits, education facilities and agricultural and industrial benefits—will not be jeopardised.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Partition: Six Counties Benefits.
2.
I am aware that it is sometimes advanced as an argument against unity that, in Northern Ireland, notwithstanding the prevalence of many and serious economic and social problems, the benefits of British social-welfare scales and certain other advantages are enjoyed, and that these scales and advantages exceed those now operating in the rest of Ireland.
I have already expressed my view, on more than one occasion, that Irish opinion would accept that, with unification, there should be an arrangement to ensure that there would be no reduction of the social benefits now enjoyed there.
In this connection I should point out that in any area the level of State social benefits and services is related to the willingness of the public to pay for them. In the Six Counties the weekly contribution payable by the insured worker is double the contribution payable here and general taxation per head is also higher.
May we take it, therefore, that as far as the Taoiseach is concerned, he is prepared to allay the fears of people in the Six Counties who are at the moment under the impression from recent speeches by the Six County Premier that the farmers would lose their guaranteed prices, that the social welfare recipients would have their benefits trimmed from the British standards to the Twenty-Six County standards and that even the Capital Development Programme would go by the Board? Will the Taoiseach now allay the understandable fears of people in that locality that such will not be the case if Partition goes?
That is the sense of the reply I have given.
Did I hear the Taoiseach say that the level of social services depended on the willingness of people to pay for them? Does he infer that the people in the Six Counties are willing to pay more than those in the Twenty-Six Counties?
All I am stating is the fact that they are paying a great deal more than the people here.
Not now.
The Taoiseach should also have mentioned that part of the system which includes Great Britain and the Six Counties for social welfare purposes.
The point I made was that the contribution by the insured worker is double what is being paid here.
Double?
More than double.
Is the Taoiseach saying that the contribution by an insured worker in Northern Ireland is more than double the contribution by the worker here?
That is right.
That surprises me.