asked the Minister for Social Welfare the preparations which are in hand for the provision of a new employment exchange for Limerick city; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Limerick Employment Exchanges.
484.
The Office of Public Works plans to provide a new purpose-built employment exchange to serve Limerick city on a site at Dominick Street which is expected to be acquired in the very near future.
485.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the progress, if any, which has been made on the establishment of a temporary women's employment exchange in Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The Office of Public Works has identified suitable premises for use as a temporary women's employment exchange and negotiations for a letting of the premises are continuing as a matter of urgency.
486.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Wexford was refused unemployment benefit.
Entitlement to unemployment benefit is subject to the condition that an applicant is available for work and to fulfil this condition an applicant must be capable of, available for, and genuinely seeking employment. The unemployment benefit claim in respect of the person concerned was disallowed from 26 November 1984 on the grounds that by reason of not genuinely seeking work she was not available for work from that date. She appealed against the disallowance and following an oral hearing of her case on 21 January 1985 and appeals officer also decided that she was not available for employment. She was notified accordingly on 22 February 1985.
She continued to sign as unemployed and her claim was further disallowed on the grounds that she was not available for employment on and from 20 February 1985. She is a postal applicant and she will be written to and advised of the further decision in her case.
487.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed on the grounds that his means which were assessed at £36 weekly exceed the rate of unemployment assistance appropriate to him. His means are derived from the value of board and lodgings on his father's holding.
He recently appealed against the amount of means assessed against him and his case was referred to an appeals officer for determination. His case will be dealt with by the appeals officer at the earliest opportunity and his entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the appeals officer's decision.
488.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a decision will be made on an appeal for unemployment assistance for a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The unemployment assistance claim of the person concerned was disallowed on the grounds that his means derived from the profit from his holding exceeded the statutory limit. He appealed against this decision and an appeals officer also decided that his means exceeded the statutory limit and disallowed his unemployment assistance claim. The applicant was notified of this decision on 4 January 1985.
489.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan had the dependant's allowance on her father's disability benefit pension deducted from her unmarried mother's allowance.
A deduction was incorrectly made from the arrears of unmarried mother's allowance due to the person concerned in recoupment of disability benefit paid to her father in respect of her as his child dependant. This error is regretted and a payable order for the amount in question is being issued to her today.
490.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan has not received disability benefit.
Where a person has less than 156 contributions paid since entry into insurable employment, entitlement to disability benefit is limited to 52 weeks. According to the records of the Department the person concerned has only 34 contributions paid on her behalf since entry into insurance. She was paid disability benefit from 2 January 1984 to 5 January 1985 after which date her 52 week entitlement became exhausted. In order to requalify for disability benefit it will be necessary for her to have at least a further 13 weeks of insurable employment for which the appropriate contributions are paid.
491.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford who is in receipt of disability benefit will be issued with an application form for an invalidity pension and considered favourably for the pension.
The person concerned is being paid disability benefit at regular weekly intervals and payment has been made to date. A form on which to claim invalidity pension has been forwarded to him and on its return, duly completed, the claim will be dealt with without delay.
492.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if unemployment assistance payments will be awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford; if so, when; and the rate which will be paid.
The person concerned claimed unemployment assistance on 2 January 1985 and his case was referred to a social welfare officer for investigation of his means. Extensive inquiries are still being made in the case but when these are completed his means will be assessed and his entitlement to unemployment assistance will be determined accordingly.
493.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange for the payment of the extra pension payable at Christmas to a person (details supplied) in County Galway who is in receipt of a widow's contributory pension.
It has been established from the post office of payment that they inadvertently omitted to make the Christmas double week payment for 7 December 1984 to the person concerned when she cashed a number of orders in her widow's pension book on 21 December. This mistake will be rectified by the issue of a payable order (for £47.30) directly to her within the next few days.
494.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in the payment of unemployment assistance to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned is an applicant for unemployment benefit. His entitlement to unemployment benefit could not be determined until inquiries to establish that he satisfied the conditions of being available for work had been completed. The inquiries were recently completed and his claim was allowed at £53.20 weekly. All arrears due were paid last week and further weekly payments will continue as they become due.
495.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment benefit was refused to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny who only made her application when she was available for and genuinely seeking work; and the result of this person's appeal.
Entitlement to unemployment benefit is subject to the condition that an applicant is available for work and to fulfil this condition an applicant must be capable of, available for and genuinely seeking work. The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit on 1 February 1985 and following the completion of inquiries her claim was disallowed on the ground that she was not available for work. She appealed against the disallowance and arrangements are being made to have her case determined by an appeals officer at the earliest opportunity. Her entitlement to unemployment benefit will be reviewed in the light of the decision of the appeals officer.
496.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange to have unemployment benefit paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny.
Entitlement to unemployment benefit is subject to the condition that a person must have at least 26 contributions, paid or credited, in the governing contribution year.
The person concerned does not satisfy the contribution conditions during the contribution period 6 April 1983 to 5 April 1984 which governs his entitlement to unemployment benefit from 6 February 1985. However the matter of nonpayment of contributions by his former employer is being investigated and when these inquiries are completed his entitlement to unemployment benefit will be reviewed in the light of the outcome. He was invited to claim unemployment assistance pending the outcome of the investigation of his contribution record and entitlement to unemployment benefit but he declined to do so.
497.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a reduced amount of unemployment benefit is being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny.
The rate of unemployment benefit payable to an applicant is reduced after 156 days if he does not satisfy a contribution condition of having 280 paid contributions in a seven year period. The person concerned received 156 days of unemployment benefit on 2 February 1985 and as he did not satisfy the contribution condition of having 280 paid contributions in the seven year period the rate of unemployment benefit payable to him was reduced from £104.75 weekly to £90.20 with effect from 4 February 1985. Weekly payments of unemployment benefit at £90.20 continue to be made to him as they become due.
498.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit has been reduced in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Meath; and if he will have this matter rectified.
The person concerned is being paid disability benefit at £37.25 per week, the maximum rate payable to a single man. He was also paid pay-related benefit from 2 December 1983, the nineteenth day of incapacity. Payment continued to 12 February 1985, after which date his entitlement to pay-related benefit was exhausted as he had been paid for the maximum period of 62½ weeks.
499.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork has had his disability benefit reduced to £34.50.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 21 November 1983 and was paid at the maximum rate appropriate to a single man, to 5 January 1985. Due to an administrative error, a reduced rate of £34.50 per week was issued to the claimant for the period 7 January 1985 to 9 March 1985. He is entitled to payment at the maximum rate of £37.25 per week, and an adjustment cheque paying arrears of benefit for this period was issued on 5 March 1985.
500.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Wexford was told to leave by the medical referee on 12 February 1985 at St. Bridget's Centre, Wexford, when he was being examined in relation to his request for an invalidity pension.
The person concerned was examined on 12 February 1985 in connection with occupational injury disablement claim. The referee who examined him expressed the opinion that he was permanently incapable of work. A form on which to claim invalidity pension was then forwarded to him and was received back in the Department on 28 February 1985. Invalidity pension has been awarded from the latter date and a pension book payable from 21 March 1985 will be issued in the near future to the designated post office of payment and arrears in respect of the period from 28 February 1985 to 20 March 1985 less the amount of disability benefit paid during that period will be paid by payable order. The circumstances of the medical referee examination are being followed up.
501.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the entitlements of a person (details supplied) in County Wexford who is widowed with three children.
The person concerned has not made a claim for widow's pension and until she does so it is not possible to say what her entitlements would be. It is possible that she might qualify for a widow's contributory pension provided she satisfies the contribution conditions either on her own or her late husband's Irish insurance record. Alternatively she may qualify for a contributory pension from here under EC Regulations, based on her late husband's combined Irish and British insurance.
If however she does not qualify for a contributory pension she may be entitled to a widow's non-contributory pension provided her means do not exceed the prescribed limit. Her late husband's British insurance could also entitle her to a United Kingdom widow's pension. A claim form on which she should supply all the necessary details has now been sent to the widow. On receipt of her claim her entitlement under Irish and EC legislation will be examined and a decision will be given as soon as possible. The relevant liaison papers will also be sent to the British Authorities to investigate her possible entitlement to a pension from them and they will be in touch with her in this regard.
502.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a person (details supplied) in County Wexford is being paid the correct rate of unemployment benefit.
The rate of unemployment benefit payable to an applicant is reduced after 156 days of benefit if he does not satisfy the contribution condition of having 280 paid contributions in a seven year period.
The person concerned received 156 days of unemployment benefit on 29 August 1984 and as he did not satisfy the contribution condition of 280 paid contributions in the seven year period the rate of unemployment benefit payable to him was reduced from £111.30 weekly to £95.65 with effect from 1 October 1984. He is accordingly in receipt of the rate of unemployment benefit to which he is entitled and weekly payments continue to be made to him as these become due.
503.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit is not being paid to a person (details supplied) in County Wexford.
Payment of disability benefit to the person concerned was disallowed from 26 February 1985 following examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work. He has not indicated to the Department that he wishes to appeal the decision to disallow payment and he has not submitted medical evidence of incapacity for work subsequent to 27 February 1985.