Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 24 Jan 1995

Vol. 447 No. 11

Written Answers. - Disability Payment.

Noel Ahern

Question:

225 Mr. N. Ahern asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability payment is not paid for the first three days of illness; the logic of this rule; since when does this situation exist; the statistics, if any, which are available to indicate the percentage of employers who pay wages for these first three days; and if making payment from the first day of illness is under consideration. [1087/95]

Minister for Social Welfare (Proinsias De Rossa)

Waiting days have been a feature of the disability benefit scheme since its inception and are a feature of similar social security schemes in many countries.

The existing provisions in relation to waiting days date from the Social Welfare Act, 1980, but related provisions were in place before that time. The reason given for their introduction was the need to prevent some workers from benefiting in respect of unnecessarily frequent short absences from work. In addition to this rationale, the waiting days rule should reduce the overlap between State and occupational schemes.

I have no current national statistics available to me as to the numbers of employers who pay occupational sick pay. However, the most recent national statistics available as to the number of employers who pay occupational sick pay come from a special survey by the ESRI in 1985 on behalf of the Department of Social Welfare. At that time 44 per cent of the total surveyed workforce of 630,000 were covered by occupational sick schemes. The surveyed workforce excluded agriculture, the construction sector and the non-commercial public sector. Of those covered by schemes, 79 per cent were in schemes where benefit is payable from the first day of illness.

I would emphasise that people are not generally left without any financial support during those days. Where a person has no recourse to occupational sick pay and no other income, Supplementary Welfare Allowance can be paid.

However, I will arrange for a review of the operation of this feature of Disability Benefit to ensure that there is no hardship arising from it.