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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 20 May 1986

Vol. 366 No. 8

Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers - European Equality Directive.

5.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare the categories of persons who will be adversely affected financially by the implementation of the European Equality Directive; and if she will make a statement on the extent to which they will be affected.

6.

asked the Minister for Social Welfare when she proposes to implement the European Equality Directive; and the cost to the State of implementing this directive.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 and 6 together. The Social Welfare (No. 2) Act, 1985, provided for the changes necessary to introduce equality of treatment in accordance with the EEC Directive. The abolition of the reduced rates of disability and unemployment benefit for married women and the extension of the duration of payment of unemployment benefit to married women from 312 to 390 days were implemented with effect from 15 May 1986. The estimated cost of these measures in 1986 is £10.6 million.

The remaining matters in the equal treatment legislation which need to be implemented relate in the main to dependency provisions. The revised definition of dependency contained in the Social Welfare (No. 2) Act, 1985, will cause some households to suffer a drop in income on implementation. The revised definition is however a much fairer one and is based on the principle that one spouse will be regarded as dependent on the other only if he or she is being wholly or mainly maintained by that spouse. Certain households where the wife is in employment or is in receipt of a social welfare payment in her own right will be affected by this revised definition as an adult dependant allowance will no longer be payable in such cases.

In determining dependency the Act gives power to have a certain amount of the dependant's earnings disregarded. The intention is that up to £50 will be disregarded. Also in cases where both spouses are at present receiving benefit and would lose an adult dependant allowance under the new arrangements, a transitional payment of £10 a week for a period of up to 12 months will be made.

These latter measures relating to dependency will be implemented later this year. The date of implementation is dependent on the allocation of additional staff, the devising of new work procedures and the training of staff in those procedures.

Has the Minister for Social Welfare resigned? She has been here only on one occasion. She must not like this job. How many families would be adversely affected financially as a result of the implementation of this directive? What would be the average income loss to those families when the directive is in full operation?

In pursuit of her known determination to improve the social welfare system, the Minister for Social Welfare is in the US examining their system.

Is she out in the sun?

She is working very hard. She has a tight and busy schedule.

Give her my regards.

She is examining the social welfare system in the US and she is extremely interested in getting the job well done. I would remind the Deputy that we had a very prolonged debate on the provisions of the Social Welfare Bill a few months ago. All the figures sought by the Deputy were given during that debate — I do not think I would be exaggerating if I said that the figures were given ten times on the various sections of the Bill. More than 46,000 married women will gain substantially from this directive. Of the 170,000 married men in the system at present, 150,000 will not be affected at all. In other words, only 20,000 will lose to some extent. Alleviating measures are being provided in about 11,000 of those cases. It can be assumed that a large proportion of the other 9,000 would be cases where the spouses were earning above average.

I have not the figure in respect of the gain to married women but it was given on many occasions. I think it was £4.80 per week. When the dependency regulations are changed the spouses will lose one of their benefits. At the moment where the wife is working and the husband is receiving benefit, he will get that benefit for himself and for his wife even though she is working. That will continue if the wife is earning less than £50 per week but where the amount is more than that the social welfare benefit paid for her will have to be withdrawn. However, there is a measure in the provisions to allow for the payment of £10 per week to alleviate that loss and this will apply for a period of one year or for the duration of the claim, whichever is the shorter.

In the case of a woman who has stopped signing on for credits once her benefits have run out, where does she stand now with the extension of the number of days benefit to which she was entitled? Can she still claim for that additional length of time?

Generally speaking, such a person should go back to his or her employment exchange and inquire about entitlements. It is quite possible that in many cases the person concerned could be eligible. It depends on the entitlement in each case but where there is any doubt the person concerned should check with her employment exchange.

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