asked the Minister for Social Welfare how many of the applicants for unemployment benefit are itinerants; the percentage this is of the total unemployed; and how this percentage compares with the national itinerant population.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Itinerant Unemployment Benefit Applicants.
21.
(Mayo West): Statistics are not maintained of the number of itinerants signing on at local offices or of the national itinerant population.
However, a count carried out in my Department in November 1981 showed that about 2,000 persons of no fixed abode were signing on at local offices at that time. This represented 1.5 per cent of the live register at that date.
Is the Minister aware of the abuses of the social welfare system by persons describing themselves as itinerants or travellers?
(Mayo West): I have not heard of that in my official capacity but I have heard stories from time to time of people trying to get away with this sort of thing.
Nobody here has anything against any section of the population but I should like the Minister to undertake an examination of the system to ensure it is not possible for persons to abuse the system by travelling from one employment exchange to another and collecting social welfare on perhaps two or three occasions on the same day. Will the Minister undertake to carry out that examination?
(Mayo West): The Department is keen to cut out any abuses of the system and if the Deputy has any information he feels would be of use to the Department in correcting this he should pass it on.
Will the Minister undertake an examination of the system and consider establishing a central payout point for those who describe themselves as travellers or being of no fixed abode in order to try to prevent the obvious abuses there are in the scheme? If the Minister indicates that he will undertake the examination I will leave the matter for now.
(Mayo West): I did not get the point in the Deputy's last question.
I was asking the Minister to have a central payout time so that people could not travel from one exchange to another to collect benefit.
(Mayo West): I take it that the Deputy is asking that payment be made within a certain period, from 11 a.m. to noon for example. That may create problems but I will mention it in the Department.
Will the Minister examine the whole system?
(Mayo West): I will.
Will the Minister circulate copies of the survey he intends carrying out to all Members? I have heard of people who have gone to two or three exchanges on the same day.
(Mayo West): Yes, I will gladly co-operate with Members on this matter.