Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 30 Mar 1995

Vol. 451 No. 4

Written Answers. - Equality Arrears Payments.

Mary Coughlan

Ceist:

75 Miss Coughlan asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will provide a special mechanism in County Donegal to ensure that all women in the county have access to advice on their entitlements and eligibility for equality arrears payments, and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6711/95]

Mary Coughlan

Ceist:

76 Miss Coughlan asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of women his Department has identified as eligible for equality treatment arrears payments; and when payment will be made to those persons eligible. [6722/95]

Minister for Social Welfare (Proinsias De Rossa)

It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 75 and 76 together.

My Department will use every means at its disposal to ensure that women in all parts of the country are fully informed of their entitlements under the equality treatment arrears payments. As a first step, some 70,000 women who have received payments under the European Communities (Social Welfare) Regulations, 1992 (S.I. No. 152 of 1992) will be eligible for payment under the equality treatment arrears payments and will be notified directly by my Department of the arrangements for their payment. A further application will not be necessary in those cases.

An extensive advertising campaign will be undertaken over the coming weeks to ensure that women who have not already submitted a claim are informed of their entitlements and of the application procedures. A special telephone inquiry unit will be set up in the Department to deal with inquiries from the married women concerned. In addition, a comprehensive information leaflet will be available shortly from my Department's local offices and arrangements will be made to notify independent information providers, such as citizens information centres, centres for the unemployed and other local and community groups, of the qualifying criteria and payment arrangements.

The arrears payments will consist of increases for adult and child dependants and unemployment assistance during the period December 1984 to November 1986. Transitional payments as provided for in the recent court judgment will also be payable in certain cases. In addition, compensation will be payable, based on the increase in the Consumer Price Index, from the date the entitlements fell due up to the date on which payments are made.

The total costs of these arrangements are estimated at some £260 million, of which up to £200 million will be paid by the end of 1995. All the married women involved will receive payments on account by September next at an overall cost estimated at £160 million. Further payments on account will be made up to the end of December 1995 at a cost of £40 million. The remaining payments, estimated at £60 million, will be paid from January 1996 onwards over as short a period as possible.