asked the Taoiseach (a) whether his Department operate any means test in order to determine eligibility for the receipt of public moneys; (b) the number of such means tests administered by his Department; (c) the criteria used to determine such eligibility in each such test; and (d) the minimum level of income at which eligibility is reached in each test.
Written Answers. - Receipt of Public Moneys.
180.
(a) My Department do not operate any means tests in order to determine eligibility for the receipt of public moneys; (b) does not arise; (c) does not arise; (d) does not arise.
181.
asked the Minister for Finance (a) whether his Department operate any means tests in order to determine eligibility for the receipt of public moneys; (b) the number of such means tests administered by his Department; (c) the criteria used to determine such eligibility in each such test; and (d) the minimum level of income at which eligibility is reached in each test.
No such means tests are operated in so far as my Department, or offices under the aegis of my Department, are concerned.
182.
asked the Minister for the Public Service (a) whether his Department operate any means tests in order to determine eligibility for the receipt of public moneys; (b) the number of such means tests administered by his Department; (c) the criteria used to determine such eligibility in each such test; and (d) the minimum level of income at which eligibility is reached in each test.
This Department do not operate any means tests in order to determine eligibility for the receipt of public moneys.
183.
asked the Minister for Health (a) whether his Department operates any means tests in order to determine eligibility for the receipt of public moneys; (b) the number of such means tests administered by his Department; (c) the criteria used to determine such eligibility in each such test; and (d) the minimum level of income at which eligibility is reached in each test.
Means tests are operated by health boards to determine eligibility for disabled persons maintenance allowances, infectious diseases maintenance allowances and blind welfare allowances.
A disabled persons maintenance allowance is payable to a person who by reason of a disability is unable to provide for his own maintenance and whose spouse, if any, is unable to maintain him. An infectious diseases maintenance allowance is payable to a person who by reason of undergoing treatment, or observing a precaution in relation to a specified infectious disease, is prevented from maintaining himself and his dependants. In the case of both schemes of allowances, determination of the levels of income at which eligibility may be reached is left to the discretion of the health boards.
Levels of income for eligibility for the blind welfare allowance are determined as follows: Persons not maintained in an institution who are in receipt of the maximum blind pension or the social welfare contributory old age pension may be regarded as eligible for the blind welfare allowance at the maximum rate subject to the following conditions:
1. In the case of such persons living in a family situation and who have no direct responsibility for outgoings related to the household a reduction of £1.50 per week would apply.
2. The earnings of a blind person's spouse will be taken into account in determining the extent of the supplementary allowance.
3. Any supplementary blind allowance payable is reduced by the excess of a blind person's total income over the sum of the appropriate maximum blind pension and supplementary blind allowance.
184.
asked the Minister for Social Welfare (a) whether his Department operate any means tests in order to determine eligibility for the receipt of public moneys; (b) the number of such means tests administered by his Department; (c) the criteria used to determine such eligibility in each such test; and (d) the minimum level of income at which eligibility is reached in each test.
(a) the answer is in the affirmative; (b) three methods for the calculation of means are statutorily prescribed for the various payments concerned, including supplementary welfare allowance, which is administered by the health boards under my general direction and control. These methods are, however, similar in most respects; (c) in the assessment of means account is taken of:—(i) cash income, with specific exclusions, (ii) the value of property personally used or enjoyed, (iii) the value of investments, capital or other property not personally used or enjoyed, and (iv) in the case of unemployment assistance, single woman's allowance and supplementary welfare allowance, the value of any benefit or privilege such as board and lodgings; (d) no minimum level of income is prescribed for eligibility in any case.
185.
asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry (a) whether his Department operate any means tests in order to determine eligibility for the receipt of public moneys; (b) the number of such means tests administered by his Department; (c) the criteria used to determine such eligibility in each such test; and (d) the minimum level of income at which eligibility is reached in each test.
My Department operate no means tests in order to determine eligibility for the receipt of public moneys.
186.
asked the Minister for Tourism and Transport (a) whether his Department operate any means tests in order to determine eligibility for the receipt of public moneys; (b) the number of such means tests administered by his Department; (c) the criteria used to determine such eligibility in each such test; and (d) the minimum level of income at which eligibility is reached in each test.
The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative and the remaining aspects therefore do not arise.
187.
asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs (a) whether his Department operate any means tests in order to determine eligibility for the receipt of public moneys; (b) the number of such means tests administered by his Department; (c) the criteria used to determine such eligibility in each such test; and (d) the minimum level of income at which eligibility is reached in each test.
My Department do not operate any such tests.
188.
asked the Minister for Agriculture (a) whether his Department operate any means tests in order to determine eligibility for the receipt of public moneys; (b) the number of such means tests administered by his Department; (c) the criteria used to determine such eligibility in each such test; and (d) the minimum level of income at which eligibility is reached in each test.
Apart from a few schemes where eligibility for a grant is conditional on the applicant being engaged in farming and not deriving more than a specified proportion of his income from non-farming activities, my Department do not operate means tests as such for purposes of determining eligibility for grants.
189.
asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy (a) whether his Department operate any means tests in order to determine eligibility for the receipt of public moneys; (b) the number of such means tests administered by his Department; (c) the criteria used to determine such eligibility in each such test; and (d) the minimum level of income at which eligibility is reached in each test.
No such tests are operated by my Department.
190.
asked the Minister for Defence (a) whether his Department operate any means tests in order to determine eligibility for the receipt of public moneys; (b) the number of such means tests administered by his Department; (c) the criteria used to determine such eligibility in each such test; and (d) the minimum level of income at which eligibility is reached in each test.
(a) My Department operate a means test in the case of applicants for special allowances under the Army Pensions Acts. (b) There are 6,700 special allowances on pay and each allowance is subject to review every four years. (c) The means test is far from severe. Only certain income is assessed and other income is disregarded. I will forward the Deputy a copy of the assessment guide, which sets out the items assessed as means and those items which are ignored. (d) A special allowance is an annual sum which, when added to a person's yearly means, will not equal or exceed the sum of £398 in the case of a single person, or £418 in the case of a married person. These figures will be increased by £100 from 1 July 1979, in addition to the usual budgetary increase which has not yet been determined.
191.
asked the Minister for Justice (a) whether his Department operate any means tests in order to determine eligibility for the receipt of public moneys; (b) the number of such means tests administered by his Department; (c) the criteria used to determine such eligibility in each such test; and (d) the minimum level of income at which eligibility is reached in each test.
My Department do not operate any means tests.
192.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) whether his Department operate any means tests in order to determine eligibility for the receipt of public moneys; (b) the number of such means tests administered by his Department; (c) the criteria used to determine such eligibility in each such test; and (d) the minimum level of income at which eligibility is reached in each test.
My Department do not operate any means test.
193.
asked the Minister for the Environment (a) whether his Department operate any means tests in order to determine eligibility for the receipt of public moneys; (b) the number of such means tests administered by his Department; (c) the criteria used to determine such eligibility in each such test; and (d) the minimum level of income at which eligibility is reached in each test.
Regarding (a) and (b) of the question, means tests apply to four schemes financed from public funds for which I, as Minister for the Environment, am primarily responsible.
The details regarding (c) are as follows: At present, in order to qualify for a local authority house-purchase loan or a local authority house improvement loan, the gross income of the applicant for the income tax year immediately preceding his application must not exceed £4,000 or, in the case of a farmer, the rateable valuation of his property must not exceed £60. In order to qualify for a loan from the National Building Agency to supplement assistance from the EEC for the provision of new houses for coal and steel workers in certain areas, the applicant's income must not exceed the income limit applicable to the above loans or, alternatively, the local authority must certify that the applicant is eligible for rehousing by them. In order to qualify for subsidy for the provision by a local authority of a developed site for private housing, the site must be allocated to the following categories of persons: (i) tenants or sub-tenants of local authority dwellings who intend to leave the dwellings; (ii) persons on the authority's approved waiting list for rehousing; (iii) persons proposing to build houses for their own occupation, who are in the category eligible for local authority house purchase loans, and (iv) co-operative housing groups in which a reasonable proportion of the members qualify under (iii) above.
Regarding (d) of the question, there is no minimum level of income stipulated for the purpose of qualifying for the above assistance.
194.
asked the Minister for Labour (a) whether his Department operate any means test in order to determine eligibility for the receipt of public moneys; (b) the number of such means tests administered by his Department; (c) the criteria used to determine such eligibility in each such test; and (d) the minimum level of income at which eligibility is reached in each test.
The Department of Labour have a means test under the Resettlement Assistance Scheme. Persons moving from one part of the country to another to take up employment secured via the agency of the National Manpower Service do not receive resettlement assistance if the salary on offer in their new jobs exceeds £6,000 per annum.
195.
asked the Minister for the Gaeltacht (a) whether his Department operate any means tests in order to determine eligibility for the receipt of public moneys; (b) the number of such means tests administered by his Department; (c) the criteria used to determine such eligibility in each such test; and (d) the minimum level of income at which eligibility is reached in each test.
Ní bhíonn tástáil mhaoine ar siúl ag mo Roinnse ach, faoi scéimeanna áirithe, bíonn gá le fianaise ghinearálta nach mbeadh ar chumas iarratasóirí an costas iomlán a sheasamh.
196.
asked the Minister for Education (a) whether his Department operate any means tests in order to determine eligibility for the receipt of public moneys; (b) the number of such means tests administered by his Department; (c) the criteria used to determine such eligibility in each such test; and (d) the minimum level of income at which eligibility is reached in each test.
The Department of Education prescribe income and PLV (Poor Law Valuation) limits in connection with the following schemes:—(a) Higher Education Grants Schemes; (b) grants for students in regional technical colleges under schemes administered by vocational education committees; (c) grants for students in colleges of education for teachers in first-and second-level schools.
The financial limits for the various schemes conform in general with those specified in the Higher Education Grants Schemes.
The criteria used to determine eligibility in the Higher Education Grants Schemes relate to income and PLV and the number of dependent children in the family. In the case of schemes to have application as from the commencement of the academic year 1979-80, an applicant may qualify for payment of the fee portion of the grant in the following circumstances:
|
Number of children |
Income Limit |
P.L.V. Limit |
|
£ |
£ |
|
|
1 or 2 |
5,250 |
42 |
|
6 and over |
6,100 |
50 |
To qualify for the full grant (maintenance and fee), the eligibility limits are as follows:
|
Number of children |
Income Limit |
P.L.V. Limit |
|
£ |
£ |
|
|
1 or 2 |
4,400 |
35 |
|
6 and over |
5,250 |
42 |
197.
asked the Minister for Economic Planning and Development (a) whether his Department operate any means tests in order to determine eligibility for the receipt of public moneys; (b) the number of such means tests administered by his Department; (c) the criteria used to determine such eligibility in each such test; and (d) the minimum level of income at which eligibility is reached in each test.
No means tests to determine eligibility for the receipt of public moneys are operated by my Department.