asked the Minister for Social Welfare the proposals being made to eliminate discrimination in social welfare codes during the current year in line with EEC directives.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Social Welfare Code Discrimination.
1.
Discrimination in the social welfare code affects mainly the entitlements of married women. In his Budget Statement the Minister for Finance stated that legislation to deal with the matter will be introduced later this year. This legislation is complex and the final details have not yet been completed. It is my intention to introduce these necessary measures from 1 December 1984 in accordance with the directive.
Will the Minister confirm that the remaining areas of unequal treatment between men and women in social welfare include the length of payment of some benefits and the qualifications under which payments may be made in regard to dependants? Will the Minister confirm that those matters will be dealt with by the end of this year and that we will be able to face 1985 in a position that under the social welfare code there will not be any discrimination remaining?
I should like to assure the Deputy that it is the Minister's intention to introduce all the necessary measures to meet the terms of the directive. Those measures will be introduced from 1 December 1984. The final details have not yet been completed. The matter is extremely complex and I have not got the exact details.
Has the Minister any details of the cost involved? I realise that there will be an increase in expenditure but savings will also be involved. Has the Minister the overall cost of this or may I assume that this will be a matter for the budget of next year?
The matter of the cost will depend ultimately on the final details. Measures can be taken in accordance with the directive to save money and some aspects will cost extra money. Until the final details are worked out it is difficult to say what the cost will be and whether it will cost that much extra.
The Minister told the House that the legislation will comply with the EEC directive and I should like to know if he would propose that it should go beyond that directive to ensure that treatment benefits for married women will be provided. If as a result of this legislation there is a loss of income to families will they be compensated for this loss?
The legislation is complex and the Deputy has given some of the reasons why that is so. The fact that the final details have not yet been completed means that it would not be appropriate to speculate on what will emerge.
The measures will be introduced from 1 December next.
The Minister said that certain measures could be introduced as a result of the directive that would save money and I should like to know if he will give details of them. Is it intended to have this legislation as part of the Social Welfare Bill this year or will it be separate legislation?
I do not intend to be drawn into a debate about the details about what the measures will be.
The Chair endorses that.
I endorse it also, but that is not a reply to the question I asked.
When replying to a supplementary question from Deputy Flaherty I made that remark. That is the general position. Measures in the social welfare code may be altered to meet the terms of this directive and that may result in a saving.
What measures is the Minister referring to?
I do not want to be drawn on the details of that because there are a lot of measures in the code.
Unemployment assistance?
The measures affect in the main married women and that area is very complex.
Will the proposals be brought before the House in advance of 1 December to give us an opportunity to consider them?
I assume that will happen and that the proposals will be discussed here.
When the Minister talks about making savings is he referring to some families losing out as a result of the changes in the system? While it is important that there should be equality of treatment between men and women in the social welfare code it is equally important that a family should not be at a loss of income as a result of that equalisation. Rather than going into detail will the Minister say if it will be the policy of the Government to ensure that families will not suffer a loss of income as a result of the new legislation?
That is a matter for the Bill when it comes before the House.
The final details of the Bill have not been completed and when they are all Members will have an opportunity of examining them.