asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he is prepared to pay to those persons otherwise eligible, but living in old persons' homes, a sum equal to the free fuel allowance so that they could help to pay the cost of gas, electrical or other central heating systems.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Old Persons' Fuel Costs.
21.
There is no provision in the existing cheap fuel scheme to enable a cash payment to be made instead of the weekly fuel supply to the persons eligible. As I indicated in reply to an earlier question, the scheme is a seasonal one and I intend to have it fully reviewed at the end of the present season.
Would the Minister not agree that the people we are talking about are very old people and it is a matter of great urgency, particularly in this kind of weather? They have no fire grates and they have a choice between gas, oil and electricity and they cannot afford any of these. I am sure that the Minister would receive the consent of all sides in taking steps to remedy any defect in existing legislation to provide for this relatively small addition.
The Deputy knows that I could not introduce a cash payment scheme this winter. I do recognise that the cheap fuel scheme constantly gives rise to complaints and anomalies and I intend to review it during this season to see what could or should be done. There is also the question of deliveries and a number of other things which are unsatisfactory. It was precisely because the cheap fuel scheme was so unsatisfactory and gave rise to so many complaints that we introduced some years ago the free electricity scheme in an endeavour to provide some element of heating for old people living alone.
I appreciate that and it was a very great advance of what existed at the time. Does the Minister not appreciate that these people are victims of a decision taken centrally, perhaps by a health board or the Department of Social Welfare, and they now find themselves heading into the winter with the prospect of not being able to cope because there are no fire grates? I am not thinking of free fuel; I am thinking of an allowance in lieu of free fuel.
The Deputy is repeating the question.
Could the Minister consider giving assistance to a local authority running such institutions?
There always was the home assistance scheme and we now have a supplementary allowance scheme which can be availed of in cases of hardship.
I think the Minister misunderstands the question. The Minister is talking about people living at home but Deputy Browne is talking about old people living in homes and institutions.
The question has been fully covered and I am not permitting any further questions.
This is happening at the present time in an institution in our own constituency.
I was not aware that there was such an institution in my own constituency but if the Deputy will give me the name of it I will certainly have the matter looked into.