asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason dental treatment was not granted to a person (details supplied) in County Cork; and if he will reconsider this decision.
Written Answers. - Social Welfare Benefit.
482.
One of the qualifying conditions for dental benefit requires that persons over 21 years of age must have not less than 26 contributions paid or credited in the governing contribution year.
The person concerned claimed dental benefit on 18 August 1983 and his claim was governed by the 1981-82 contribution year, 6 April 1981 to 5 April 1982. According to the records of the Department no contributions had been paid or credited on his behalf for that year.
On 1 September 1983 and again on 20 December 1983 he was informed of the position and requested to submit details of any employment in the relevant period. On 3 February 1984 it was established that 34 contributions at Class A1 had been paid on his behalf in respect of the governing contribution year. His claim to dental benefit has now been approved and both the claimant and his dentist notified accordingly.
483.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reasons unemployment benefit or assistance has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway despite the fact that he has been signing since September 1983 and has been paid these benefits in 1981 and 1982; the date on which he will be paid; the weekly amount and the total arrears that he will receive; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The person concerned is a landholder and a claimant for unemployment benefit.
He did not satisfy the contribution condition of having 78 paid contributions in a three-year period prior to his date of claim and as the income from his holding exceeded £2 daily his unemployment benefit claim was disallowed.
He appealed against this decision and he attended an oral appeal hearing on 21 March 1984. The appeals officer disallowed the appeal.
He was advised of his right to claim unemployment assistance but has not done so to date.
484.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision on an appeal for unemployment assistance will be made for a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned is in receipt of unemployment assistance at £9.50 weekly which is the maximum rate payable to him, £73.60 less means £64.10. His means are derived from the benefit which he and his family receives from his mother's holding on which he lives and works.
He appealed against the amount of means assessed against him and an appeals officer also assessed his means at £64.10. He has been notified of this decision.
485.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if unemployment assistance will be awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned claimed unemployment assistance following the exhaustion of his title to unemployment benefit on 16 January 1984 when he completed 390 days. Following investigation of his means he was paid at £15.95 per week being the maximum appropriate rate £29.40 less means of £13.45 derived from land. Arrears due were posted to him on 14 March 1984.
He last signed as unemployed on 13 March 1984.
486.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if unemployment assistance will be awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned is a landholder and a claimant for unemployment benefit.
He did not satisfy the contribution condition of having 78 paid contributions in a three-year period prior to his date of claim and as the income from his holding exceeded £2 daily his unemployment benefit claim was disallowed.
He appealed against this decision and he attended an oral appeal hearing on 21 March 1984 but the appeals officer disallowed his appeal.
He was advised of his right to apply for unemployment assistance but he has not done so to date.
487.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will set out in detail the amount of means assessed from each sector of the farm enterprise and explain how means of over £40 per week were assessed in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo.
The person concerned had up to August 1983 been in receipt of a widow's non-contributory pension, at a reduced rate based on her means, since the death of her husband in 1971.
Following a reinvestigation of her circumstances by a social welfare officer in July 1983 her means derived from a farm were assessed as being in excess of the statutory limit for entitlement to pension of £40 per week for a widow under 66 years of age without any qualified children. She appealed against the decision to terminate pension but her appeal was disallowed by an appeals officer.
The rules for calculation of means provide that account must be taken of the yearly value of any advantage accruing to a person from the use or enjoyment of property, e.g. a farm. In assessing the means of the person concerned account was taken of the value derived from the sale of cattle, headage grants, value of farm produce less expenditure incurred in stocking and running the farm. Means were assessed at £2,500 a year or slightly in excess of £48 a week.
488.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment benefit was refused to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
Entitlement to unemployment benefit is subject to the condition that a claimant must be available for and genuinely seeking work.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit from 9 January 1984 but her claim was disallowed on the grounds that she was not available for employment.
She appealed against the disallowance and her case has been referred to an appeals officer for consideration. Her entitlement to unemployment benefit will be determined in the light of the appeals officer's decision.
489.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance at the maximum rate is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
The application of the person concerned for unemployment assistance on 14 October 1983 was authorised at £11.25 per week being the appropriate maximum rate in his case £29.40 less means £18.15 derived from board and lodging on his father's holding.
He has appealed against the assessment of his means. His case has been returned to the social welfare officer for further inquiries. When these are completed his claim will be referred to an appeals officer for determination and the rate of unemployment assistance payable to him will be reviewed in the light of the means assessed by the appeals officer.
490.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in Dublin 1 is eligible for dental benefit.
One of the qualifying contribution conditions for receipt of dental benefit in the case of persons over 21 years of age is that not less than 26 contributions have been paid or credited in the governing contribution year.
The person concerned claimed dental benefit on 22 February 1983. According to the records of the Department, however, no contributions have been paid or credited in respect of him in the 1981-82 contribution year which governed the claim. He was not, therefore, eligible for dental benefit under the social insurance scheme. Neither is he entitled to benefit in 1984 because there is no record of paid or credited contributions in 1982-83.
He may be entitled to assistance towards the cost of dental treatment under the Health Acts. The Eastern Health Board have been asked to examine the position and arrange to have the necessary claim forms issued to him.
Credited contributions had been entered in error on the record of the person concerned in respect of the years from 1971 to 1982-83 and he had been paid benefits in error on foot of these credits. These credits were deleted some time back when it came to notice that they were invalid and the position was explained to him by an officer of the Department. He is not entitled to have further contributions credited to him until such-time as a further 26 employment contributions have been paid on his behalf.
491.
Mr. Coughlan
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal.
The person concerned does not satisfy the contribution conditions for entitlement to unemployment benefit.
The matter of non-payment of contributions by his former employer is being investigated and when the inquiries are completed his entitlement to unemployment benefit will be reviewed in the light of the outcome.
He was advised of his right to claim unemployment assistance but has not done so to date.
492.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will indicate the reason for the delay in the finalisation of an appeal for unemployment assistance made by a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon.
Following a reinvestigation of his case the unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed on the grounds that his means derived from the profit from his land and from capital exceeded the statutory limit.
He appealed against the assessment of his means and in the light of contentions made by him in support of his appeal his case has been referred again to a social welfare officer for further inquiries. When these inquiries are completed his case will be submitted to an appeals officer for determination and his entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the appeals officer's decision.
493.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo.
Availability for work is a condition of entitlement to unemployment benefit and to fulfil this condition an applicant must be capable of, available for and genuinely seeking work.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit on 6 September 1983 and her claim was disallowed on the grounds that she was not available for work.
She did not appeal against the disallowance although she was advised of her right to do so. She has not been in touch with her local office since 7 October 1983 when she last signed as unemployed.
494.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo.
Entitlement to unemployment benefit is subject to the condition that an applicant must be fully available for work.
Her claim was disallowed by a deciding officer who was of the opinion that she was not fully available for work. She has appealed against the disallowance and arrangements are being made to have her case determined by an appeals officer.
Her entitlement to unemployment benefit will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer.