Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 16 Oct 1991

Vol. 411 No. 1

Written Answers. - Social Welfare Statistics.

Eric J. Byrne

Question:

366 Mr. Byrne asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will outline in respect of the latest date for which figures are available (a) the number signing the unemployment live register, (b) the number of those not receiving any payment from his Department, (c) the number receiving short term unemployment assistance and the average weekly payment made, (d) the number of adult and child dependants of those receiving short term unemployment assistance, (e) the number receiving unemployment benefit and the average amount paid, (f) the number of adult and child dependants of those receiving unemployment benefit, (g) the number receiving reduced rates of unemployment benefit and the average payments made in each case, (h) the number receiving pay-related benefit with unemployment benefit, (i) the average weekly amount received in pay-related benefit paid with unemployment benefit, (j) the number receiving long term unemployment assistance and (k) the number of adult and child dependants of those receiving long term unemployment assistance.

Minister for Social Welfare (Dr. Woods)

The information requested by the Deputy is given in the following table:

Statistics of Unemployed Persons

(a) Total live register at 27 September 1991	258,744
(b) Number of those not receiving a payment, i.e. applications for credits	15.339
(c) Number of persons in receipt of short term unemployment assistance	32,276(1)
Average weekly payment of short term unemployment assistance	N/A(2)
(d) Number of dependants of short term unemployment assistance recipients
Adult dependants	10,664
Child dependants	33,025
(e) Number of persons in receipt of unemployment benefit	66,215
Average weekly payment of unemployment benefit (including pay-related benefit)	£63.40
(f) Number of dependants of unemployment benefit recipients
Adult dependants	15,070
Child dependants	62,679
(g) Number of persons receiving reduced rates of unemployment benefit	None(3)
(h) Number of persons in receipt of pay-related benefit with unemployment benefit	25,804
(i) Average weekly rate of pay-related benefit with unemployment benefit	£10.77
(j) Number of persons in receipt of long term unemployment assistance	129,102(1)
smallholders assistance	11,928
Total	141,030
(k) Number of dependants of long term unemployment assistance recipients
Adult dependants	42,654
Child dependants	132,098
Number of dependants of smallholder's assistance
Adult dependants	7,080
Child dependants	21,507

(1) Estimated.

(2) The average weekly payment of unemployment assistance is £67.50. Separate figures are not available for short term and long term unemployment assistance.

(3) Reduced rates of unemployment benefit have been abolished with effect from July 1991.

Note: Unemployment recipients refers to the number of persons actually in receipt of an unemployment payment, regardless of whether or not they are on the live register of unemployment.