Vol. 369 No. 1
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the present position in relation to the implementation of the Government's policy, as outlined in Building on Reality, 1985-1987 to abolish the family income supplement; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
375.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare her views on the introduction of an additional payment equivalent to the weekly value of the child dependant allowance paid on a quarterly basis for families long term dependent on social welfare as recommended by the Commission on Social Welfare.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 374 and 375 together.
The recommendations made by the Commission on Social Welfare in the area of income support for families include proposals that child dependant increases with social welfare payments should be retained and rationalised into one payment for all child dependants of social welfare recipients and that additional payments be made on a quarterly basis for families long term dependent on social welfare payments.
The commission also recommends differentiation of child benefit rates by age and family size and the retention of the family income supplement scheme.
The commission's recommendations in this area are relatively complex and the approach they recommend would differ from the approach outlined by the Government in the National Plan Building on Reality, 1985-1987. The commission's proposals in this area are under examination at present and proposals will be put to the Government in this matter in due course.
