Vol. 428 No. 3
30 Ms O'Donnell asked the Minister for Social Welfare if he intends to take over the income maintenance schemes for disabled person's maintenance allowance and the infectious disease maintenance allowance from the regional health boards; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
It is my view that the most effective and cost effective means of delivering income maintenance services is to assign that task to a single department. The primary role of my Department is the provision of income maintenance services which I believe should be delivered in a co-ordinated manner which minimises inconvenience to clients.
Under the Social Welfare Act the health boards are responsible for the delivery of the supplementary welfare allowance scheme. They also deliver the disabled persons and infectious diseases maintenance allowance schemes under regulations made by the Minister for Health. My priority at present is to improve and streamline the delivery of supplementary welfare allowances in consultation with the health boards. The question as to whether and in what manner the other health board income maintenance schemes could be taken over directly by my Department would need a lot of detailed consideration and there are no immediate plans in this regard.
