asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will state the number of persons with remuneration between £250 and £500 per year who are contributors to (a) the Unemployment Insurance Fund and (b) the National Health Insurance Fund and the number of such persons who received benefit in each case during the years 1948-49, 1949-50 and during 1950-51, to 31st December last.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Insurance Funds Contributors.
Statistics of the nature requested by the Deputy are not maintained in my Department and it is not, therefore, possible to supply the desired information.
Is the Minister in a position to give any information as to the amount of expenditure on benefits which will be necessitated by the bringing in of a new group of contributors into the social insurance scheme? Is he in a position to give an estimate in this matter?
If the Deputy would state the precise information he wants, I shall have the matter examined and I can assure him it will be examined from the standpoint of giving him any information that we are in a position to give him.
Is the Minister not in a position——
Shut up, Jack-in-the-Box.
Is it parliamentary for a Minister to respond to a Deputy in these terms? Can I tell the Minister to shut up?
Does the Deputy consider it too mild?
Can I say that?
The Minister did not say that.
It is corollary to what the Minister did say?
The Deputy is very touchy in these matters. Much stronger remarks were passed by without any objection.
I am not very touchy, but the Minister has a responsibility to answer Deputies politely at least. The Minister has not the inherent good manners to do that, I know.