asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will provide for rates of disability benefit to be related to the number of years the claimant has been in insurable employment so that a person who has been in insurable employment for a long number of years would receive extra payment in recognition of his high number of contributions.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Disability Benefit Rates.
11.
I would point out to the Deputy that the cost of disability benefit is met from contributions to the social insurance fund by employers, employees and the State, and not from contributions paid by employees only. In any event I would not favour the Deputy's suggestion which rather than improving the present scheme would, in fact, result in persons less well off by reason of a poor employment history receiving less in benefit than persons with excellent employment backgrounds who would be in a better position to meet the contingency of loss of wages by reason of a period of illness.