asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange for the payment of all benefits and allowances which have been claimed by the employees of the North Western Breeders Society who are in dispute with their employers in view of the payments made to the employees of Clover Meats Ltd., Waterford, whose dispute with their management was similar to that between the management of the North Western Breeders Society and the union concerned.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefits.
32.
Unemployment benefit can only be paid when all the relevant statutory conditions governing the payment of that benefit are satisfied. In the case of the employees of the North Western Breeders Society a deciding officer decided that they were not entitled to receive unemployment benefit on the grounds that they lost their employment due to a trade dispute at their place of employment and this decision was upheld by an appeals officer.
Certain employees of Clover Meats, Waterford, were also disqualified for receiving unemployment benefit on similar grounds. However no payments of benefit were made to these employees by my Department in respect of the period of the dispute.
33.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he has any plans for the payment of the prescribed relatives allowance to all incapacitated old age pensioners who are cared for in their own homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
A prescribed relatives allowance is payable to an incapacitated old age pensioner who is receiving full-time care and attention from the prescribed relative, if certain conditions are fulfilled. The question of extending the scheme to other categories will be examined in the context of future developments and budgetary considerations.