asked the Minister for Social Welfare in what cities, towns and other areas the free fuel scheme for pensioners operates; to what categories of persons this scheme applies; and if he will extend this scheme to cover all areas.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Free Fuel Scheme.
18.
The cities and towns in which the cheap fuel scheme operates are Arklow, Balbriggan, Bray, Cork, Drogheda, Dublin, Dundalk, Dungarvan, Dún Laoghaire, Enniscorthy, Gorey, Kilkenny, Limerick, New Ross, Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow.
The scheme applies to persons in receipt of home assistance, non-contributory old age and blind pensions, widows' pensions, unemployment assistance recipients who have dependants, and to certain other persons who are on low incomes.
As I informed Deputy McLaughlin in reply to a similar question on 4th ultimo, extension of the scheme to other areas is not envisaged.
Since it has been found necessary to implement a scheme of this kind to assist poor people, would the Minister not agree it is high time it was extended to the whole country since we have poor people in all parts of the country? Why not extend it?
I do not think there is any question of its being extended. Indeed, I think its survival is to some extent a bit of an anachronism from the war time.
It is a help for poor people.
It is a form of home assistance.
Would the Minister look into the question of its extension?
The Minister for Social Welfare said at the Fianna Fáil Árd Fheis that it was out of date.
That the Fianna Fáil Party is out of date—is that what he said?