I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 35 together.
The principal income maintenance scheme which is available to those people who are unable to work because of illness or disability and are not eligible for contributory benefits is disabled person's maintenance allowance. This scheme is administered by the health boards. In the event of a person not being eligible for disabled person's maintenance allowance, they may apply for supplementary welfare allowance which is a weekly allowance payable to people whose means are insufficient to meet their needs and those of their dependants.
I recognise that there is a case for reform in this area. Such reform would cater for existing disabled person's maintenance allowance recipients and for recipients of supplementary welfare allowance who are unable to work through illness or disability. I would envisage that a significant step along the way would be made with the transfer of responsibility for the disabled person's maintenance allowance scheme to the Department of Social Welfare. The integration of the disabled person's maintenance allowance or infectious disease maintenance allowance into the social welfare system would be a complex matter and would require detailed consideration. I have a number of major developments in hands at present to streamline the administration of social welfare schemes and improve the capacity of my Department's systems. Changes to the systems to accommodate the schemes in question are being considered in this context.