asked the Minister for Social Welfare the cost of increased social welfare payments per employer per week to be introduced as a result of the 1968 Budget; and what portion of the increase is due to the proposal in the Budget that the Exchequer contribution to the cost of insurance benefits will be slightly adjusted downwards.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Increased Social Welfare Payments.
54.
The estimated yearly cost of the increase in rates of social welfare payments announced in the 1968 Budget is £9,276,000. Of this, £3,581,000 relating to social assistance services is borne in full by the Exchequer, and £5,695,000 relating to social insurance services is borne by the Exchequer, employers and employees. It is not possible to express these figures in terms of cost per per week.
It is estimated that, as compared with 38.1 per cent in 1967-68, the Exchequer contribution to the Social Insurance Fund in 1968-69 will be around 34.8 per cent. This is still in excess of the figure of 33? per cent which was envisaged as the Exchequer contribution to the Fund when the unified social insurance scheme was introduced in 1952.