asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will consider establishing a full time employment office in Charleville, County Cork.
Written Answers. - Charleville (Cork) Employment Office.
635.
Under existing arrangements unemployed persons from the Charleville area have their weekly unemployment benefit and assistance claims certified at the local Garda station and they are paid at Charleville post office. These arrangements are working satisfactorily and the opening of an employment office in Charleville would not therefore be justified.
636.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will investigate a claim for an increase of a contributory old age pension on behalf of a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned is in receipt of a contributory old age pension since 5 August 1983. He is being paid the pension at the weekly rate appropriate to his yearly average number of contributions during the required period which, in his case, is from 5 January 1953 to 5 April 1983. He has a total of 1,226 contributions during this 30 year period which is equal to a yearly average of 40. An average of at least 48 is required to qualify for the pension at the maximum rate.
There are no contributions recorded in respect of the person concerned for the years 1965 to 1968. He stated that he was not employed and did not claim any benefit during this period.
637.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will expedite a claim for an old age pension on behalf of a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
It was decided on 5 March 1985 that the person concerned is entitled to an old age pension at the weekly rate of £31.30 from 14 December 1984 and pension of £23.65 from 1 February 1985 on his son attaining the age of 18 years.
These are the rates to which he is entitled having regard to the assessment of his means, consisting of half the weekly value of a holding and capital. The appropriate pension books payable from 1 March 1985 issued on 8 March 1985 and a payable order covering arrears for the period 14 December 1984 to 28 February 1985 issued on 11 March 1985.
638.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will expedite an appeal in relation to an old age pension on behalf of a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
It was decided by a deciding officer that the person concerned is not entitled to an old age pension on the grounds that his means, consisting of half the weekly value of capital and a holding, exceed the statutory limit for entitlement to pension.
A form to enable the person concerned to state his grounds for appealing against the decision has recently issued. On its return the matter will be referred to an appeals officer for determination and the claimant will be notified of the outcome.
639.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will expedite a claim for unemployment assistance on behalf of a person (details supplied) in County Cork.
The person concerned claimed unemployment assistance and his case was referred to a social welfare officer for investigation of his means. He failed to co-operate with the social welfare officer and he was not prepared to disclose full details of sources of income to enable his means to be assessed. He has been written to and advised that his application for a qualification certificate cannot be proceeded with unless he cooperates in the investigation of his case. If he indicates that he is now willing to disclose all his means his case will be again referred to the social welfare officer and his entitlement to unemployment assistance will be reviewed in the light of the outcome of the inquiries.
640.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason unemployment assistance was not paid to a person (details supplied) in County Cork for the week 28 November 1984, to 4 December 1984.
The person concerned claimed disability benefit from 9 October 1984. On 14 January 1985 he notified the Department that he did not receive payment for the period 28 November 1984 to 4 December 1984 and a replacement cheque was issued to him on 6 February 1985.
641.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kerry is not in receipt of disability benefit.
There is no trace in the records of the Department of a claim of any sort having been received from the person concerned. He has been written to and requested to furnish details of his claim. On receipt of a reply the matter will be dealt with.
642.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason a person (details supplied) in County Kerry is not in receipt of disability benefit.
Payment of disability benefit to the person concerned was disallowed from 19 September 1984 following examination by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that he was capable of work. He appealed against the disallowance and he was examined on 28 November 1984 by a different medical referee who also considered him to be capable of work. His case has been referred to an appeals officer who proposes to hold an oral hearing of the case as soon as possible. He will be notified of the time and place of the hearing as soon as the arrangements have been made.
643.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when consideration will be given to the application for a transfer from disability payment to invalidity pension on behalf of a person (details supplied) in County Longford.
The person concerned has been in receipt of disability benefit since 21 October 1981 and payment is being made at regular weekly intervals.
Invalidity pension is payable in place of disability benefit to insured persons who satisfy the contribution conditions and who are permanently incapable of work. The person concerned was examined in February last by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that he was not permanently incapable of work and asked to have him referred for a further examination after two months. The question of entitlement to invalidity pension will be considered after that examination.
644.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an outstanding disability cheque for 5 January 1985, will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath.
The person concerned informed the Department that he did not receive payment for the period 9 January to 15 January 1985. The cheque for this period was returned to the Department cashed and bearing an endorsement in the claimant's name. The matter has been referred for urgent investigation by an inspector of the Department and the position will be reviewed in the light of his report.
645.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when a free travel pass will be reissued to a widow (details supplied) in County Westmeath.
It is unclear from the information supplied by the Deputy whether the person concerned returned her pass to the Department or if it was lost or stolen. There is no record in the Department of receipt of a pass in her name and a replacement pass form has therefore been issued to her. On receipt of the completed form in the Department, a replacement pass will be issued to her.
646.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will arrange for immediate payment of an old age pension to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
It was decided on 6 March 1985 that the person concerned is not entitled to an old age pension on the grounds that he does not fulfil the statutory conditions as to means. His means, consisting of half the weekly income from a taxi business and fuel deliveries, exceed the statutory limit for entitlement to pension. If the person concerned is not satisfied with the decision he may appeal against it.
647.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Laois as he has been signing since the 31 December 1984.
The entitlement of the person concerned to unemployment benefit could not be determined until inquiries to establish whether he satisfied the contributor conditions had been completed. These inquiries were recently completed and his claim was allowed at the appropriate weekly rate of £37.25. He is a postal applicant and a payable order for encashment at his local post office paying all arrears due issued to him last week. Further weekly payments of £37.25 will continue to be made to him as they become due.
648.
(Limerick West): asked the Minister for Social Welfare when arrears of a non-contributory old age pension will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Limerick.
It has been decided that the person concerned is entitled to an old age non-contributory pension at the maximum weekly rate of £41.30 from 21 December 1984, the Friday following the date on which the pensioner reached 66 years of age. The appropriate pension book payable from 21 December 1984 issued on 30 November 1984. There are no arrears of pension due.
649.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare when unemployment benefit will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Laois.
The person concerned claimed unemployment benefit from 24 February 1984 to 24 April 1984 and from 27 June 1984 to 2 August 1984 but as he did not satisfy the contribution condition during the relevant contribution period 6 April 1982 to 5 April 1983 his claims were disallowed. However the non payment of contributions by his employer is at present under investigation and when these inquiries are completed his entitlement to unemployment benefit in respect of the two periods of unemployment will be reviewed. He claimed unemployment benefit again on 4 March 1985 and as he satisfies the contribution conditions during the period 6 April 1983 to 5 April 1984 his claim has been allowed at the rate of £35.90 weekly. Arrangements have been made to commence payment this week.
650.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if a prescribed relative allowance will be awarded to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
The person concerned is at present in receipt of an old age non-contributory pension at the weekly rate of £62.05 which includes an adult dependant allowance. According to the records of this Department there has been no application for prescribed relative allowance received from the pensioner to date.
In the circumstances an application form which will enable the person concerned to claim the allowance has been issued and on its return to the Department the matter will be examined and decided on. The pensioner will be notified of the outcome in due course.
651.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his Department will again review a decision of 20 June 1984 made by a social welfare officer in his Department disallowing payment of social welfare benefit in respect of two children (details supplied) from July 1983 to April 1984 and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The claim for children's allowance in this case was made on 22 March 1984 and the allowance was paid in the normal way from April 1984. Under the regulations an allowance could be paid from an earlier date but only if there were exceptional or extenuating circumstances to justify this. Following an investigation of the circumstances in this case it was not considered that the circumstances justified payment of an allowance from an earlier date and it is not considered that there are any grounds for reviewing this decision.
652.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the cause of the long delay in having a living alone allowance granted to a person (details supplied) to County Kilkenny.
The person concerned has been in receipt of retirement pension since 4 November 1976. There is no record of receipt of a recent claim for a living alone allowance from him.
The local social welfare officer has been asked to investigate his entitlement to the allowance and a decision will be made when the officer's report is received. A living alone allowance claim made by him in 1981 was disallowed as it was found on investigation that he was not then living alone.
653.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the outcome of an appeal lodged by a person (details supplied) in County Kilkenny for unemployment benefit.
Following an oral hearing of the appeal an appeals officer decided that the person concerned did not satisfy the condition of being available for work from 11 November 1984 to 14 January 1985 but that she did satisfy the availability condition from 15 January 1985 and allowed her unemployment benefit claim from that date. All arrears due were paid to her last week and further weekly payments at £32.75 will be made as these become due.