Vol. 346 No. 9
I move:
That a supplementary sum not exceeding £69,900,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st day of December, 1983, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Social Welfare, for certain services administered by that Office, for payments to the Social Insurance Fund, and for sundry grants.
I understand that there is an agreement that the major debate will take place during the Adjournment Debate on Thursday and Friday, but in view of the magnitude of this almost £70 million I would like the Minister to give us a breakdown of what the money is needed for. I understand that at the beginning of the year during the Social Welfare Bill the Minister told us that the Government had allocated £31 million extra to cater for the needs of those who would become unemployed during the year. Does that figure of £70 million include moneys for a further number of people who have become unemployed during the year? We have told the Government on many occasions that their economic policies would lead to much greater unemployment. I will not develop that now because it will come up on the Adjournment Debate, but I would like the Minister to clarify one point. Last Wednesday here in the House when answering questions the Minister stated that the double payment at Christmas time would be the same as in 1982. Can we take it from that that there will be a double payment for the child dependants of those on short-term benefits such as those on unemployment assistance and those on disability benefit?
The Minister to conclude.
The following is a breakdown of the £69.9 million. The main amounts are the double week's payment of £17.18 million in total. There is a shortfall in PRSI this year also of £35.5 million and there is an additional cost in terms of unemployment benefit and pay-related benefit of £20 million. There has been a higher take-up of unemployment benefit and pay-related benefit against the amounts estimated. I stress that these estimations were towards the end of 1982 and incorporated in the 1983 Estimates. Increases arise, therefore, in all three sections of the Vote, namely, administration, social insurance and social assistance; and there are some offsetting savings, for example the amount spent on the subsidy for private rented dwellings, and also the 5 per cent increase in unemployment assistance from October of £2.3 million. As regards PRSI, to give a final figure the total contribution income for the year was estimated at £797.5 million. It seems that receipts at the end of December will be £762 million which would leave a shortfall of £35,500,000.
These are the main issues arising. With regard to the double week at Christmas, in my reply to the Deputy last week I think there was some confusion with regard to dependants. We discussed the question of child dependants and I undertook to check on the matter. I have been in touch with the Deputy about it. In terms of social assistance and disability benefit, child dependants are not included in the double week. They were not included in 1980 or 1981.
They were included in 1982.
Yes, as part of the budget provisions.
Then, the scheme is not the same as the 1982 scheme.
It is except for that provision.
That is very important for low income families.
