Vol. 456 No. 4
1 Mr. J. Walsh asked the Minister for Social Welfare in view of the fact that 1996 marks the tenth anniversary of the publication of the report of the Commission on Social Welfare, if he will commission an independent report on the extent to which the recommendations of the commission have been implemented and the measures which now need to be taken to reform the social welfare system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13941/95]
5 Mr. J. Walsh asked the Minister for Social Welfare if the commitment in the programme for renewal to commission the ESRI to review the minimum adequate income rates recommended by the Commission on Social Welfare has been implemented. [13931/95]
15 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Social Welfare the action, if any, he proposes to take to follow up his statement last July that he considered the basic welfare level to be unacceptably low and that there would be significant backing for his proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13932/95]
28 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he has satisfied himself with the rates of payment to social welfare recipients; the measures he intends to introduce to alter these payments; the proposals, if any, he has regarding funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13924/95]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 1, 5, 15 and 28 together. My views on the inadequacy of the basic rates of social welfare entitlements are already on record. I consider that they need to be greatly improved. Discussions are under way with the ESRI to give effect to the commitment in the programme for renewal to carry out a review of the minimum adequate income rates recommended by the Commission on Social Welfare. Draft terms of reference and a timescale for a study will be finalised in the next few weeks. The review will be completed by mid-1996. The completion of the ESRI review will coincide with the tenth anniversary of the publication in 1986 of the report of the Commission on Social Welfare.
The ESRI review will consider the adequacy of the rates of social welfare benefits and allowances. The study, along with ongoing reviews of the Commission on Social Welfare's recommendations and taking account of a number of other key reports expected, such as that of the expert working group on the integration of tax and social welfare, will form the basis for the formulation of proposals for improvements in the social welfare system in the years ahead.
The question of funding these improvements will be considered in the light of the resources available when the extent of the requirement is quantified and in the context of the commitment in the programme for renewal for the maintenance and development of the social insurance system. In the meantime, the priority rates recommended by the Commission on Social Welfare in 1986 have been implemented since 1994.
In addition, as the ERSI and others have identified families with children as being at greatest risk of poverty, I have taken a significant step towards addressing that issue in this year's budget. Social welfare and related improvements which I am implementing will cost £90 million in 1995 and £212 million in a full year. The increase in child benefit will account for 38 per cent of the cost of this year's budget improvements and almost 50 per cent of the full year cost.
I note the Minister has taken Questions Nos. 1, 5, 15 and 28 together. I have heard the Minister repeat that the social welfare payment rates are totally inadequate. What plans has he to ensure that the grossly inadequate social welfare payments will be addressed in the budget?
The Deputy will appreciate that I do not intend to tell him what I propose to do in the next budget. Discussions on the Estimates are well under way and discussions on the construction of budget day announcements will continue after that. It is not at all helpful in seeking improvements in social welfare that the Leader of Fianna Fáil and other party spokespersons are calling for cuts in public expenditure virtually every day.
The Minister has a long track record of verbal commitments in this area which he is now in a position to do something about. Has the planning unit in his Department made predictions on the expenditure required in the Estimates to meet demographic changes, such as the increase in the number of lone parents and elderly and so on?
I have already indicated to the Deputy that I do not propose to go into detail of that type. When the Estimates are published towards the end of November we can have a debate on that matter.
I asked a straightforward question about the predictions the Minister has been getting from the planing unit of his Department as to the likely cost of internal inflation resulting from the increasing number of elderly and in particular lone parents.
I do not propose to bore the Chair but I have indicated already that I do not propose to provide that information today. The Estimates are being discussed between my Department and the Department of Finance and will be published in late November when the House can have a full debate on the outcome of those discussions and then try to predict what may or may not happen in the 1996 budget.
Four questions are being taken together. It is mind boggling that the Minister does not know or is not prepared to tell the House the rate of internal inflation particular to his Department.
I am not prepared to tell you.
The Minister is not prepared to tell me. That is another show of arrogance.
Yes.
The Minister recently committed himself publicly to a basic social welfare rate of £80 per week. The basic rate for non-contributory pensioners is £62.50. What is the estimated cost of bringing it up to the Minister's suggested rate of £80 per week? Where does he propose to get the money, given that the Minister for Finance has required him to surrender some areas under the aegis of his Department to find savings of £630 million?
I am sure it has been noted that a favourite tactic of Fianna Fáil spokespersons is to impute particular statements that are inaccurate to me or other Ministers and then demand why we are not meeting the incorrectly imputed statements. I did not make such a statement and I am sure the Deputy, being a Fianna Fáil spokesperson for Social Welfare, is well aware that I did not make such a promise. What I pointed out was that if we were to implement the higher range of the recommended rate of the Commission on Social Welfare we would be providing £80 per week to individual claimants.
The Minister is bluffing. On 31 July the Irish Independent carried this statement.
Displays of the kind that the Deputy is engaged upon are not in order.
Rather than depending on newspaper reports——
The Minister for Social Welfare wants basic social welfare increased to £80 a week.
What I want and what I can promise are two different things. What I can achieve is yet another matter.
The Minister announced it.
I advise Deputy Walsh to read the record and listen to the replies I give in this House rather than depending on newspaper reports.
There is a chairperson in this House, Minister. I insist that we now proceed to answer Question No. 2.
The Minister was again misleading the public.
Let us have order and decorum in the House.
