Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 12 Mar 1992

Vol. 417 No. 3

Written Answers. - Employer's Responsibility for Sickness Payments.

Tomás MacGiolla

Ceist:

31 Tomás Mac Giolla asked the Minister for Social Welfare if, in regard to the range of measures announced in Dáil Éireann on 19 December 1991, he will outline the total anticipated saving to the Exchequer; if he has yet presented proposals regarding the transfer of responsibility for sickness payments to employers to the Central Review Committee of the Programme for Economic and Social Progress; if he will outline the Committee's reaction; if he will also outline the way in which he can reconcile these changes with the commitment contained in the Programme for Economic and Social Progress that social welfare recipients would be protected and their living standards maintained and where possible improved; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Social Welfare (Mr. McCreevy)

The total anticipated saving from the proposed measures was some £9 million in 1992.

In relation to the proposals regarding the transfer of responsibility for sickness payments to employers, officials of my Department have met on two occasions with the Federation of Irish Employers to discuss the proposals. Initial discussions have also been held with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, and further discussions will take place.

The Programme for Economic and Social Progress commits the Government to ongoing reform of the social welfare system broadly within the framework outlined by the Commission on Social Welfare. The proposed measures in relation to disability benefit are in line with this policy; the commission was in favour of the taxation of such benefits. I would also point out that the budget package announced by my colleague, the Minister for Finance, provided for an increase of 6 per cent in disability benefit. This is well above the rate of inflation and therefore represents a real improvement in the living standards of people dependent on disability benefit.