asked the Minister for Finance if his Department provide any grants or financial assistance to people who may be totally or partially disabled; and, if so, if he will give details.
Written Answers. - Assistance for Disabled.
151.
My Department do not provide any such financial aids.
152.
asked the Minister for the Public Service if his Department provide any grants or financial assistance to people who may be totally or partially disabled and, if so, if he will give details.
The answer is in the negative.
153.
asked the Minister for Health if his Department provide any grants or financial assistance to people who may be totally or partially disabled and, if so, if he will give details.
The following schemes of financial assistance are operated by health boards:
Disabled Persons Maintenance Allowances which are payable to persons with long-term disabilities which prevent them from working, subject to assessment of the means of the applicant and his spouse. The maximum weekly allowance will be £15.20 as from 1 April 1979.
Infectious Diseases Maintenance Allowances which are payable to persons who are prevented from making adequate provision for themselves or their families because they are undergoing treatment for certain specified infectious diseases. The principal maximum rates with effect from 1 April 1979 will be:
|
Personal rate |
£15.30 |
|
Person with dependent spouse |
£27.95 |
|
Increase for dependant other than spouse |
£4.25 |
Blind Welfare Allowances which are allowances, additional to the blind pension or the disabled persons maintenance allowance, for necessitous blind persons. The principal maximum rates are:
|
Personal rate |
£5.50 |
|
Blind couple |
£9.50 |
|
Child dependant |
£1.20 |
Domiciliary Care Allowances which are payable to parents of severely handicapped children. The maximum rate is £35 per month.
Grants for Motorised Transport—The maximum grant is £1,000. The chief indicator is that a car is essential to the applicant in order to enable him to earn a living.
154.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his Department provide any grants or financial assistance to people who may be totally or partially disabled; and, if so, if he will give details.
Persons who are totally or partially disabled may qualify for payments, including increases for adult and child dependants, under the social insurance and occupational injuries schemes administered by my Department. Such persons may receive disability benefit or invalidity pensions provided they are incapable of work and satisfy the relevant contribution conditions.
Under the occupational injuries scheme injury benefit is payable to persons who are incapable of work as a result of an occupational accident or a prescribed occupational disease. In addition they may qualify for payment of disablement benefit in respect of loss of physical or mental faculty arising out of such accident or disease.
Disablement benefit is payable in addition to disability benefit or invalidity pension. Where the contribution conditions for the latter benefits are not satisfied unemployability supplement may be paid in lieu. Persons who are in receipt of disablement benefit in respect of 100 per cent loss of faculty may qualify for constant attendance allowance. The cost of any necessary medical care may also be paid to persons who suffer occupational accident or disease.
Persons in receipt of disabled persons' maintenance allowance are entitled to payment in respect of adult and child dependants under the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. While this scheme is administered by the health boards it is under the general direction and control of my Department.
155.
asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry if his Department provide any grants or financial assistance to people who may be totally or partially disabled; and, if so, if he will give details.
An employee who through an accident in the course of his employment with the Department becomes totally or partially disabled qualifies for weekly payments under the Occupational Injuries Act. The weekly payments are made by the Department of Social Welfare.
If a claim for lump sum damages is made and the court finds in favour of the plaintiff or the claim is settled out of court the Department are responsible for payment of the lump sum.
156.
asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport if his Department provide any grants or financial assistance to people who may be totally or partially disabled; and, if so, if he will give details.
My Department do not provide grants or financial assistance to people who are totally or partially disabled.
157.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if his Department provide any grant or financial assistance to people who may be totally or partially disabled; and, if so, if he will give details.
My Department do not provide such grants or assistance. Sick pay and superannuation payments as appropriate are, of course, made to officers of the Department who become partially or totally disabled.
158.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if his Department provide any grants or financial assistance to people who may be totally or partially disabled; and, if so, if he will give details.
The question of physical disability does not enter into the determination of eligibility under the system of grants or financial assistance provided by my Department.
159.
asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy if his Department provide any grants or financial assistance to people who may be totally or partially disabled; and, if so, if he will give details.
The answer to the first part of the Deputy's question is "No". The second part does not, therefore, arise.
160.
asked the Minister for Defence if his Department provide any grants or financial assistance to people who may be totally or partially disabled and if so, if he will give details.
The Army Pensions Acts provide pensions for former members of the Defence Forces who are suffering from a disablement (a) due to a wound or injury attributable to service, or (b) due to a disease attributable to service:
(i) during the period 1 April 1922 to 30 September 1924,
(ii) during the period 3 September 1939 to 2 September 1946,
(iii) with a United Nations Force.
The maximum pension (100 per cent disability) for an officer is 48 per cent of pay plus £4.05 per week for a wife and £2.22 per week for each eligible child. The maximum pension in the case of a non-commissioned officer or private is £27.08 per week plus allowances for wife and eligible children similar to those paid in the case of an officer.
The Army Pensions Acts also provide pensions for former members of Oglaigh na hÉireann (IRA) who are suffering from disablements due to a wound or injury or disease attributable to their military service. The maximum pension payable, irrespective of rank, is £1,813.80 per annum plus £6.14 per week married pension.
161.
asked the Minister for Justice if his Department provide any grants or financial assistance to people who may be totally or partially disabled; and, if so, if he will give details.
My Department do not provide any such grants or financial assistance.
162.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his Department provide any grants or financial assistance to people who may be totally or partially disabled; and, if so, if he will give details.
The answer is in the negative.
163.
asked the Minister for Labour if his Department provide any grants or financial assistance to people who may be totally or partially disabled; and, if so, if he will give details.
The services provided by the Department, such as the work experience programme and the employment incentive scheme, are available in respect of disabled as well as able-bodied persons.
The work experience programme which provides for planned work experience on employers' premises for a period of six months, during which time participants are paid a weekly allowance of £20, is open to all young persons, including the disabled, under 25 years of age. Recruitment is through the National Manpower Service but the final decision regarding who is taken on rests with the employer creating the work experience opportunity.
The premiums payable to employers under the employment incentive scheme for eligible additions to their payrolls are of course available in respect of disabled employees provided they satisfy the eligibility conditions. Broadly these premiums are £20 per week, or £14 in respect of a person under 25 entering his first job, and are payable for up to 24 weeks.
In addition, AnCO, which operates under the aegis of my Department, pay the normal training allowances to disabled persons undergoing training in their centres.
164.
asked the Minister for the Gaeltacht if his Department provide any grants or financial assistance to people who may be totally or partially disabled; and, if so, if he will give details.
Níl cúnamh ar leith den saghas sin le fáil ó mo Roinnse.
165.
asked the Minister for Education if his Department provide any grants or financial assistance to people who may be totally or partially disabled; and, if so, if he will give details.
My Department's responsibility in this area relates only to the provision of educational facilities. It does not provide direct grants or financial assistance of the nature indicated.
166.
asked the Minister for Economic Planning and Development if his Department provide any grants or financial assistance to people who may be totally or partially disabled; and, if so, if he will give details.
My Department do not provide any grants or financial assistance to people because of the fact that they are disabled, either totally or partially.