asked the Minister for Social Welfare if it is intended to establish a social welfare advisory council, representative of contributors, beneficiaries and administrators, to advise on policy formulation, as recommended by the Commission on Social Welfare; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Social Welfare Advisory Body Proposal.
7.
The Commission on Social Welfare recommended the establishment of an advisory body to advise the Minister for Social Welfare on any aspect of the system either on its own initiative or at the request of the Minister.
Having examined the commission's recommendation I do not consider that there is a need at this stage for such an advisory body given the wide range of sources of advice that are currently available to me.
Two advisory bodies currently operate under the aegis of my Department, namely the Combat Poverty Agency and the National Pensions Board and my Department are also represented on the National Social Services Board and the National Council for the Aged.
Interest groups make representations to me on a regular basis and clearly value the opportunity of putting their case directly on the various issues of concern to them. In recognition of the important contribution voluntary organisations make in the field of social services the Government have given a firm commitment in the Programme for National Recovery to take measures to ensure a closer liaison with such organisations in the preparation and implementation of policies in the social welfare area. In line with this commitment I engaged in a series of very fruitful meetings with representatives of voluntary organisations prior to the Budget and their views were fully taken into account by me in the formulation of my budgetary proposals for consideration by the Government. I have also had discussions with representatives of voluntary organisations in relation to my proposals for greater flexibility in the unemployment payment schemes. I intend to continue to have discussions with representatives of voluntary organisations on a regular basis.
Would the Minister agree that it is simply because of the plethora of groups and representations existing by reason of the unbelievable complexity and disparities of the social welfare code that the commission made this recommendation for a review body? Would he agree that one of their important functions would be the publication of an annual report reflecting what is needed on a continuous basis? Furthermore would the Minister agree that it would be a very useful means of channelling these different representations at very little cost, because there are so many of those bodies and interested groups who would be only too willing to contribute to the work of such a review body?
At this stage I am not short on advice. Indeed, I must say that the Combat Poverty Agency are taking this task very seriously and are being very helpful to me in this regard.
I do not think there was anything in the report of the commission, who were aware of all of the agencies and advice obtaining then as now, to suggest that it would be a means of supplanting or doing away with the work of all the agencies to which the Minister referred. Rather, would the Minister agree that they foresaw it as a means of streamlining matters and providing the very valuable service of reporting annually on developments and work in this area? Would the Minister at least think again about the suggestions contained in that report and take them on board?
As I said in my reply, I am not excluding them. I am just saying that at present I have plenty to do. I have had plenty of advice and I want to get on with taking some action at this stage.