Vol. 462 No. 7
105 Mr. J. Walsh asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to the Ombudsman's comments on the backdating of payments to eligible social welfare applicants to the date of application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5357/96]
The Office of the Ombudsman has confirmed to my Department that the Ombudsman has made no public comments in relation to the backdating of late claims. I am of course aware of the views expressed by the Ombudsman in recent annual reports on this issue.
As I indicated in replies to recent parliamentary questions, my Department has been reviewing the existing arrangements for backdating applications for social welfare payments. The issues involved in the review have turned out to be more difficult than was originally anticipated. In particular, it appears that relaxation of the current legislative requirements could have significant cost implications and would have to be considered, therefore, in the light of other priorities.
