Vol. 470 No. 2
70 Mr. Flood asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether any special terms or conditions apply specifically to members of the travelling community who are claimants from his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18613/96]
Members of the travelling community do not have to satisfy any special conditions for social welfare payments other than those which apply to claimants generally. For unemployment payments special signing on arrangements did apply but members of the travelling community, in common with claimants generally, now normally sign-on once every four weeks at the social welfare local office nearest to where they are living. They are paid each week at their local post office.
In some cases, for administrative reasons, travellers sign on at a fixed time on the appointed signing day. However, any member of the travelling community who wishes for genuine reasons to sign outside this time may be facilitated by the local office. Signing arrangements for all claimants may however be varied by a local office where they consider it appropriate to do so for proper management and control purposes.
