asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will consider including in the free fuel scheme those who are in receipt of disabled persons maintenance allowances and who have no other sources of income.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Free Fuel Scheme.
15.
As the Deputy is aware, it is the statutory duty of the public assistance authorities to provide necessities, including fuel, for persons who are in need, and it is open to them therefore to supply fuel as assistance-in-kind to persons in receipt of disabled persons maintenance allowance who may be in need. Accordingly it is not proposed to add the group referred to by the Deputy to the classes already included in the cheap fuel scheme.
Do I take it from the first part of the reply that it is on the initiative of the local authorities that the different categories are named as qualifying for free fuel? Does the initiative come from the Minister or from the local authorities?
The Minister selected certain categories but they were strictly delineated in special circumstances in the course of the war. It was intended at that time to relieve the local authorities in their obligations in the matter.
These allowances were not paid during the war and in view of the fact that a big proportion of these people were formerly assisted by way of home assistance does the Minister not consider that they would be eligible for free fuel?
Having regard to the fact that the local authorities are already being relieved to a considerable extent I think, in justice to the ordinary taxpayer, that we should not relieve them any further.
The Minister will realise, as Minister for Health, that many local authorities have transferred recipients of home assistance on to the disabled list so that they might qualify for the 50 per cent recoupment.
The Minister for Finance is well aware of the fact that the local authorities are fully alive to the circumstances in which they can shift their burden to the central Exchequer.
These are very deserving people.