When will the commencement day be?
SECTION 10
Question proposed: "That section 10 stand part of the Bill".
We will bring it into operation as soon as the Bill is enacted and will then try to deal with some of the practicalities.
Would there be any possibility of bringing it in during 1993 even for the last week or two, so that those who made contributions this year would be eligible next year?
We will look at that before Report Stage. In relation to the commencement date there are some administrative arrangements to be made but we will bring it in as soon as possible after the Bill is passed.
Before 1 January, if possible?
Question put and agreed to.
NEW SECTION.
Amendments Nos. 11, 12 and 13 are related and may be discussed together.
I move amendment No. 11:
In page 7, before section 11, but in part III, to insert the following new section:
11.—Section 2 (1) (as amended by section 3) of the Principal Act hereby amended by—
(a) the insertion after the definition of ‘deciding officer' of the following definition:
‘"developing country" means any country which the Minister, having regard to the countries so designated by the United Nations, the World Bank or the International Labour Organisation as developing countries and after consultation with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, may determine, for the purposes of this Act, to be a developing country;',
(b) the insertion after the definition of ‘the Minister' of the following definition:
‘"non-governmental agency" means any organisation which has one of its functions the promotion of relief and development in developing countries through the sponsoring or aiding of projects involving the employment of volunteer development workers in those countries;', and
(c) the insertion after the definition of ‘voluntary contributor' of the following definition:
‘"volunteer development worker" means a person who is employed temporarily outside the State in a developing country and has secured such employment either—
(a) by or through the organisation known as the Agency for Personal Services Overseas or by or through a non-governmental agancy in the State, or
(b) by or through a governmental or non-governmental agency in any Member State other than the State, or
(c) directly with the Government of a developing country, and who is employed by any of the aforesaid agencies or by the Government of the developing country or by both under conditions of remuneration similar to local conditions applying in the said country and who was resident in the State immediately prior to taking up such employment;'".
The purpose of amendments Nos. 11, 12 and 13 is to entitle volunteer development workers to the full rate of unemployment benefit and disability benefit on their return to Ireland. This provision will apply to development workers who would otherwise qualify for reduced rate benefit. Under existing arrangements a person must have earnings of not less than a certain amount, currently set at £70 per week, in the governing contribution year to qualify for the full rate of unemployment and disability benefit. Reduced rates of benefit which are related to the level of earnings are payable to people whose income is below £70 per week. There are a number of existing provisions in the social welfare code under which volunteer development workers who are paid at local rates of pay in developing countries receive preferential treatment. For example, we exempt them from liability for social insurance contributions while abroad and they are given credited contributions for a period of absence of up to five years. We have exempted them from the employment condition applying to claimants generally in determining entitlement to maternity benefit. These steps were taken previously and they can qualify for treatment benefits with the minimum number of contributions.
These amendments are designed to complement these provisions by providing for similar preferential treatment in so far as entitlement to unemployment and disabililty benefit is concerned. In order to provide for the payment of full rate benefit to development workers, amendment No. 11 inserts definitions of "developing country", "non-governmental agency" and "volunteer development worker" into section 2 of the 1993 Consolidation Act.
Amendment No. 12 provides for payment of the full rate of disability benefit to volunteer development workers where the claim is made in the year in which they return to Ireland or in the year following their return.
Amendment No. 13 makes similar provision in relation to the payment of unemployment benefit. According to APSO, the agency for personal services overseas, there are about 400 Irish volunteers abroad at present. I am introducing these amendments so as to ensure that those volunteers are not disadvantaged in any way by virtue of their work in developing countries. The improvements which I am proposing in the rates of unemployment benefit and disability benefit are further evidence of the Government's commitment in our Programme for a Partnership Government to safeguard the social welfare rights of volunteer development workers.
I welcome this amendment. We are all very proud and humbled by the work of our volunteer development workers overseas and we would not approve of them being disadvantaged when they return home in terms of their insurance entitlements for unemployment or disability benefits or any other benefits. I wholeheartedly welcome the Minister's amendment.
I welcome the amendment. The Minister stated that more than 400 people would benefit under these new regulations. It is an excellent proposal which is overdue. I thank the Minister for his endeavours.
The section is straightforward and makes welcome provision for further improvement of conditions for voluntary workers. There is enormous potential in this area, and it is of great significance that the people involved were suffering because rates of pay in the countries in which they worked tended to be a good deal lower than the rates applicable here, which often meant that they qualified for benefit at lower rates. Many volunteers spent a number of periods in developing countries. This is a welcome improvement. It is dreadful that the Minister is producing another social welfare Bill when a Social Welfare Consolidation Bill was passed only three or four weeks ago. It is a way of life with us.
At least we completed the consolidation work. If we had not done so we would have been in trouble. I told Deputies that I would be doing something else. We have just consolidated the social assistance regulations and before today's meeting I formally signed them. The social assistance regulations have been consolidated which will be very useful to Deputies.
In that context, as the Minister is giving us insights into other areas, will he indicate how quickly he will be able to make provision for voluntary contributions or the contributions he is planning for women in the home?
I expect to have the report on that matter very soon.
This has to do with the position of women in the home, so Deputy Flaherty is definitely in order.
However, women in the home are not overseas.
Many of the wives of male overseas development workers are in the home.
I wish to compliment the Minister on these amendments because there are 400 volunteers overseas, many of whom might have an illness when they return. It is very important to recognise this.
I heard of a case recently at a clinic of a Wexford man who worked for some years in the orphanages in Romania. He spent three or four months leave at home and before he went back he was advised to have certain inoculations and injections. As an overseas voluntary worker he could not prove his entitlement to a medical card. He had the inoculations, which cost £120, as a precaution against some rare diseases on the advice of the association he was working for. Could we ensure that overseas development workers are covered for whatever health precautions they need to take. Their entitlement to medical cards to cover these should be recognised. It is a most important matter.
That is a matter for the Minister for Health.
I will let him know the Deputy's views on the matter.
Amendment agreed to.
NEW SECTION.
I move amendment No. 12:
In page 7, before section 11, but in Part III, to insert the following new section:
12.—Section 32 of the Principal Act is hereby amended by the insertion after subsection (8) of the following subsection:
‘(9) The requirement contained in subsection (1) (c) that the claimant must have prescribed reckonable weekly earnings in excess of a prescribed amount in the prescribed period shall not apply in the case of a claim for disability benefit made by a person in the benefit year in which that person, having been a volunteer development worker, returns to the State from a developing country or in the next succeeding benefit year.’.”.
Amendment agreed to.
NEW SECTION.
I move amendment No. 13:
In page 7, before section 11, but in Part III, to insert the following new section:
13.—Section 43 of the Principal Act is hereby amended by the insertion after subsection (6) of the following subsection:
‘(7) The requirement contained in subsection (1) (c) that the claimant must have prescribed reckonable weekly earnings in excess of a prescribed amount in the prescribed period shall not apply in the case of a claim for unemployment benefit made by a person in the benefit year in which that person, having been a volunteer development worker, returns to the State from a developing country or in the next succeeding benefit year.’.”.
Amendment agreed to.