asked the Minister for Social Welfare if any new instructions as to any person's eligibility for unemployment benefit or assistance were issued by his Department to the employment exchanges in 1978; and, if so, if he will give details of the changes.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Unemployment Benefit and Assistance.
12.
A number of instructions affecting eligibility of persons receiving unemployment benefit or assistance were issued to employment exchanges during 1978.
Some of the instructions concerned the implementation of the changes to entitlement introduced in the budget and provided for by the Social Welfare Act, 1978. Among these changes were improvements in rates of payments and the removal of the special conditions in the unemployment assistance scheme which applied to single women and widows.
The other instructions which affected entitlement related to the updating of the oldest means assessments of unemployment assistance recipients and changes in the Social Welfare (Normal Residence) Regulations and in the procedures dealing with the claims of certain unemployed persons.
The amendment to the Social Welfare (Normal Residence) Regulations enabled an increase of unemployment benefit or assistance to be paid in certain circumstances to a child's father even though the child may not be residing with him. This remedied a deficiency in the regulations which had been causing hardship in certain cases involving broken families.
An administrative change was introduced to allow unemployed persons to claim unemployment benefit or assistance while awaiting the results of a disability benefit appeal. Formerly persons whose claims for disability benefit had been disallowed and who continued to send in medical certificates while pursuing their claim for disability benefit on appeal were disbarred from claiming unemployment benefit or assistance. In the event of losing their appeal they suffered the loss of both benefits. The present arrangement remedies this situation.
Would the Minister put the regulations in the Library so that we can see them? Is that permissible or possible?
I do not see why not. I will see what can be done. There are two different things here, the regulations and then the instructions to the exchanges on how to implement them.
The instructions.
The Deputy is aware of the regulations. It is the instructions in which he is interested?
I should like to see everything, if the Minister does not mind.
I will see what can be disclosed.
We would all like to see them.
If they are in the Library, that will be possible.