Batt O'Keeffe
Ceist:225 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he intends to introduce rationalisation of the welfare system in this country. [5655/96]
Written Answers. - Welfare System Rationalisation.
I have recently published the Social Welfare Bill 1996 which contains provisions for the introduction of the new one-parent family payment. This scheme represents a significant rationalisation of payments to lone parents, in that it will amalgamate the existing lone parent's allowance and deserted wife's benefit payments. The new scheme will bring about full equality between men and women and will remove the concept of "desertion" from the social welfare code.
The Social Welfare Bill, 1996 also contains provisions for a new method of assessment of capital in the case of the disability allowance which will replace disabled persons's maintenance allowance currently administered by the health boards, and the new one-parent family payment. These provisions represent the first step in standardising the method of assessing capital across the various social assistance schemes so as to improve the equity of the system. It is my intention to extend the standardised capital assessment to all other social assistance schemes over time as resources permit.
The social welfare system is kept under continuous review and I would expect to introduce further rationalisation and streamlining in the future as the opportunities arise and resources allow.