Vol. 195 No. 16
asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether in view of the increases both in wages and in the cost of living which have taken place since 1948 he will take steps to increase the maximum of £4 10s. 0d. per week payable under section 6, sub-section (1) (a) of the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1948, to a totally incapacitated workman.
31.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will introduce legislation to provide that, where a workman becomes totally incapacitated and unable to earn wages, and if the wages for the work which he was doing before his being incapacitated are increased during his incapacity, the maximum compensation payment made to him under the Workmen's Compensation Act will be increased in proportion to the wage increase.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to answer Questions Nos. 30 and 31 together. The maximum rate of weekly compensation payable under Section 6, subsection (1) (a) of the Workmen's Compensation (Amendment) Act, 1948, was 50/- but was raised to 90/-in 1955.
Under existing legislation the amount of compensation payable to an injured workman may be reviewed if the rate of wages payable in his occupation alters during the period of his incapacity, subject to the limit of 90/- mentioned. The Reports of the Commission on Workmen's Compensation are at present under examination and until this examination is completed it is not proposed to take steps for the introduction of amending legislation.
In view of the fact that the Minister indicated a short time ago that the Government had not yet reached a decision on the report of the Commission of Inquiry into Workmen's Compensation, and it is likely to be some considerable time before legislation will be enacted by both Houses of the Oireachtas in relation to this matter, would the Minister give early and sympathetic consideration to the question of providing some interim increase in workmen's compensation payments since these payments are now at a level which takes no account of the fact that the cost of living has increased substantially since they were fixed?
We have waited a considerable time for this report and, now that we have it, I think it would be a mistake to embark on a piecemeal revision of workmen's compensation.
There is a great deal of real hardship being suffered by people permanently incapacitated, and more hardship will be suffered if they have to wait for legislation.
