Peter Barry
Question:285 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Social Welfare the names of the public relations or consultancy companies employed by his Department in 1989; and the fees paid to each of them.
Written Answers. - Public Relations and Consultancy Companies.
Details concerning the public relations and consultancy companies used by the Department in 1989 and the fees paid to each are as follows:
|
Name of Company |
Amount of Fees |
|
£ |
|
|
Digital Equipment (Ireland) Ltd. |
132,843.75 |
|
Craig Gardner & Co. |
118,027.50 |
|
Learmonth & Burchett Management Systems Ltd. |
99,850.90 |
|
Arthur Andersen & Co. |
42,437.50 |
|
Cara Data Processing Ltd. |
23,100.00 |
|
Coopers and Lybrand Associates Ltd. |
13,237.02 |
|
Walshe Public Relations Ltd. |
9,500.00 |
Brendan Howlin
Question:286 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Social Welfare if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a person (details supplied) in County Wexford who applied for unemployment assistance has been assessed with means of £9.96 per week derived from the board and lodgings provided by his parents whose only household income is a blind pension which has already been means tested; if he is satisfied that such means tested allowances from his Department are paid at a rate sufficient to enable recipients to subsidise the maintenance of family members other than those provided for in such means tested allowances; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The person concerned claimed unemployment assistance on 17 November 1989. Following an investigation, a deciding officer assessed him with means of £9.96 per week derived from the value of board and lodgings in his parents' home. The total income of his parents, including an allowance from the SouthEastern Health Board, was established at £204.40 per week.
Due to the exceptional circumstances of this case, both parents being in receipt of a blind pension and with other dependants, the case was reviewed by a deciding officer who has assessed him with nil means with effect from the date of his claim. All arrears due as a result of this decision will be paid to him without delay.
Michael P. Kitt
Question:287 Mr. M. Kitt asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason an increased rate of old age pension has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in County Galway.
This person is in receipt of pension since 25 April 1986. He has been assessed with means derived from a farm. In June 1988 he applied for an increase in pension having transferred the holding to his son. However, he has retained an interest in some of the proceeds and it did not appear that the son was in beneficial occupation of the farm in the ordinary sense. Under social welfare legislation, a person who deprives himself of pay, income or property in order to qualify for old age pension or an increase in pension continues to be assessed with the means in question. Accordingly the assessment of his means remained unchanged and the application for an increase was refused.
The person concerned appealed this decision. Following reinvestigation of the case by the local social welfare officer, the appeals officer decided in December 1988 to uphold the original decision not to grant an increase in pension as there had been no change in the appellant's circumstances. The appeals officer held that, although the holding has been transferred to his son, the person concerned was still in beneficial occupation of the holding. The appeals officers decision is final and conclusive and can only be reviewed in the light of new facts or fresh evidence.
In view of new facts supplied by the Deputy, the case of the person concerned has been referred to the social welfare officer for reinvestigation. On completion of the necessary inquiries, the case will be referred to a deciding officer for decision and the person concerned will be notified of the outcome in due course.
Gerry O'Sullivan
Question:288 Mr. G. O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Welfare when an invalidity pension book will issue together with arrears to a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary.
Invalidity pension has been awarded to the person concerned with effect from 8 December 1988. Pension books for the appropriate amounts payable, from 22 February 1990, in respect of himself and his dependants have been issued to his designated post office of payment.
Arrears of invalidity pension due for the period from 8 December 1988 to 21 February 1990, less the amount of disability benefit paid during this period, will be issued by payable order.
Gerry O'Sullivan
Question:289 Mr. G. O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason disability benefit has not been paid to a person (details supplied) in Cork.
Where a person has less than 260 contributions paid since entry into insurable employment, entitlement to disability benefit is limited to 52 weeks.
According to the records of the Department the person concerned has only 219 contributions paid on her behalf since entry into insurance. She was paid disability benefit for 52 weeks to 31 July 1989, after which date her 52 week entitlement was exhausted.
She continued to be eligible for the award of credited contributions up to 19 September 1989 when she was examined by a medical referee who expressed the opinion that she was capable of work.
Following an appeal she was examined by a different medical referee on 16 November 1989 who also considered her capable of work. She was notified of this decision on 21 November 1989.
Richard Bruton
Question:290 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social Welfare the number of households to whom the footwear allowance under the supplementary welfare scheme was paid in the most recent year for which figures are available; the number of children to whom it was paid; and the proportion of the eligible population he estimated to be taking up their entitlements under this scheme.
Payment of allowances in respect of children's footwear is made on a seasonal basis between the months of September and January each year. In the period from September 1988 to January 1989, the latest period for which complete information is available on these payments, 56,069 households were assisted in respect of 154,187 children.
The allowance is intended for school-going children of social welfare beneficiaries who are unable to provide for their children's footwear needs. Beneficiaries who, for example, have other income or whose claims are of a short-term nature would not qualify for an allowance.
A separate leaflet outlining the details of the footwear scheme was made available in October 1989 to encourage people to avail of the scheme and posters advertising the scheme were placed in social welfare offices and other outlets.
It is not possible to say what proportion of eligible persons did not receive footwear allowance. The question of non-take up of social welfare benefits is being examined as part of the second phase of the ESRI survey on income distribution and the usage of State services, partly funded through the Combat Poverty Agency. A report on the results of this is expected to be available in the near future.
Richard Bruton
Question:291 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Social Welfare whether he has decided to introduce a clothing scheme that would apply to all the unemployed during the year 1990; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The introduction of any additional arrangements for assistance towards clothing costs for unemployed persons would be a matter for consideration in a budgetary context.
Michael Moynihan
Question:292 Mr. Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he will extend eligibility for (a) the free telephone rental allowance, (b) the free electricity allowance and (c) the free television licence to Irish citizens who emigrated to the United States and who are in retirement in Ireland, generally on small allowances from the United States Department of Social Welfare.
The free electricity, free TV licence and free telephone rental allowance schemes were available only to recipients of Irish or British State pensions until early last year. From April 1989 I extended entitlement to these schemes to all European Community social security pensioners aged 66 years or over and those aged under 66 years who are in receipt of EC invalidity pensions for more than 12 months and who are resident in Ireland.
Further extension of these schemes to encompass other recipients would be a matter for consideration in a budgetary context.
Jim Higgins
Question:293 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason arrears of pension due to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo have not been paid.
Following reinvestigation of the case, a deciding officer decided on 18 October 1989 that the person concerned was entitled to an increased old age pension of £36.30 per week, including a living alone allowance, with effect from 24 February 1989. The rate was increased to £37.90 from July 1989. He was assessed with means of £21.16 per week. The means are derived from capital and the value of a holding.
He was issued with a pension book payable from 28 October 1989 at a rate of £37.90 in November 1989. Arrears of £72, covering the period 24 February to 27 October 1989 will issue to the person concerned within a few days.
Jim Higgins
Question:294 Mr. J. Higgins asked the Minister for Social Welfare the reason for the delay in concluding the appeal of an old age non-contributory pension in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Mayo.
The person concerned was awarded old age non-contributory pension at the rate of £4.50 per week from 14 July 1989. This is the rate appropriate to a person with weekly means of £49.76. Means were assessed on the basis of a holding and the value of her spouse's British invalidity pension.
Following a reinvestigation of the case a deciding officer decided on 8 January 1990 that the person concerned was entitled to an increased pension of £6.50 per week from 14 July 1989 — the revised decision is based on a means assessment of £47.84 per week.
In view of the new information supplied by the Deputy regarding the transfer of land, the case has been referred back to the local social welfare officer for reinvestigation. When the necessary inquiries are completed, the entitlement will be reviewed and, if warranted, the case will be sent to an appeals officer for consideration.
Ivan Yates
Question:295 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Social Welfare if persons (details supplied) in County Wexford will have their rate of pension increased.
On foot of the Deputy's representations, the cases of the persons concerned have been passed to their local social welfare officer for reinvestigation. On completion of the necessary inquiries, their cases will be referred to a deciding officer for decision, and they will be informed of the outcome in due course.