Vol. 370 No. 15
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if she will list the names of all reports of the Dáil Committee on Public Expenditure relating to her Department; and if she will outline specifically and comprehensively the action taken to date with regard to each individual recommendation of such reports.
136.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare the action which has been taken on the recommendations contained in the report of the Committee on Public Expenditure regarding the proposal to establish a centralised State agency for persons registering for employment or training.
It is proposed to answer Questions Nos. 134 and 136 together.
The reports of the Committee on Public Expenditure of direct relevance to the Department of Social Welfare are the report on implementable public sector savings and the report on a proposal to establish a centralised State agency for persons registering for employment or training.
The first of these recommended the appointment of a qualified accountant in each Government Department. Arrangements are at present being made for the appointment of a qualified accountant in the Department of Social Welfare.
The report also recommended rationalisation of the operations of the Departments of Health and Social Welfare particularly in relation to the issue of medical cards and supplementary benefits. This proposal would have wideranging implications for the social assistance services and the matter is receiving attention in the context of the review of the social welfare system following the report of the Commission on Social Welfare. The report also recommended the abolition of maternity grant. This scheme was discontinued in 1983.
The second report referred to above recommended that the Department of Social Welfare and the National Manpower Service should have compatible computerised records and that there should be a single computer file for persons registered as unemployed and for those seeking work/training. The need for compatibility as between the computerised record system in the Department of Social Welfare and the National Manpower Service and for an integrated service to people who are unemployed is recognised and is being taken into account in the ongoing development of the system.
