I propose to take questions Nos. 8, 19 and 40 together.
I am happy to be able to inform the House that the report of the Review Group on the Treatment of Households in the social welfare system was laid before the Oireachtas on 23 May. In keeping with the commitment contained in the Programme for Economic and Social Progress, the report will be discussed with appropriate interests. The Government have approved the publication of the report in full and copies of the report have been made available to all groups which made submissions. It will be published shortly.
Possible options for the future development of the payments system are identified in the report but the group were unable to decide on the most suitable approach to further changes in the present arrangements.
A number of specific instances in the social welfare code which treated married couples less favourably than unmarried cohabiting couples were amended in the Social Welfare Act, 1991.
These concerned the payment of child dependent increases, entitlement to supplementary welfare allowance and assessment of means for family income supplement. When the review group were set up I said that the question of the treatment of different household situations within the social welfare code was a very complex area which needed full and careful consideration. This report shows now true my evaluation was at that time. The group examined the existing rules in the social welfare code and how these affect households of different kinds — married couples, cohabiting couples and relatives or non-relatives sharing a household. The report is a very expert and forthright presentation of highly complex legal and administrative arrangements and I have no doubt that there will be widespread interest in the issues raised. I welcome the opportunity to discuss the issues with appropriate interests. I am confident that the end result will be proposals for a consistent and equitable approach to the future development of the social welfare services.